[Nexus] Outside XVIII

[Reinholdt]

This place is just as it sounds. It's outside.
Want a change of scenery? Go outside.
Always wanted to visit the beach? Come outside.
Looking to have a climatic fight on clifftops? Attempt outside.
Secret meetings being held where there's no cameras? Try outside.
Want an ambush without nasty base defenses? Yep. Outside.

Any and all are welcome here. There are no NPCs unless you bring them in. The major exception is the creepy eyed squirrel. The creepy eyed squirrel does not interfere with anyone. The creepy eyed squirrel is everywhere outside. The creepy eyed squirrel is always watching. The creepy eyed squirrel never sleeps. The creepy eyed squirrel can not be damaged, manipulated, or killed by anyone. The creepy eyed squirrel will eat anyone's very being who attempts to do so. Anyone can god-mode the creepy eyed squirrel. You may pet the creepy eyed squirrel at your own risk.

Other NPCs currently include:
The menacing crabs. These intimidating creatures are usually found by the shore.
The non-existant duck. You'll miss every time you shoot at it.

There is very little you can't do outside. However, like always, please follow the forum rules and general rules of conduct. Private conversations can be held outside. If it seems like a private (secret) conversation, please respect that. Those having such a conversation should do their best to indicate it as such. Otherwise, other characters may stumble upon you. Those desiring to spy in on private conversations should first PM those holding the private conversation, more out of courtesy than anything else.

There are many areas outside, and people can be in multiple places outside. In order to keep areas outside separated so there's no confusion, consider bolding your outside location at the start of each of your posts, like so:


The Fields

Reinholdt sets up various targets and practices his sharpshooting. All these events recently has made him a bit rusty. To his left, he notes the creepy eyed squirrel. Giving him the heebie-jeebies, Reinholdt decides to head somewhere else.


The Cliffside

Calublufiok broods over his latest scheme as he flies over the cliffs. The creepy eyed squirrel is watching him again. He finds occasionally landing and telling the creepy eyed squirrel his plans helps him find holes in his plotting.

Note Reinholdt and Calublufiok do not interact because they are in different areas outside. They could interact, if Reinholdt moves to the cliffside. Of course, various things like telepathy help bypass this. Also, please note outside has no major buildings, though minor ones crop up from time to time.

And most importantly, enjoy outside. That's what this is all about. :smallsmile:

Outside now contains various Outside locations! Such as...
[Dead Pine Lake]
This lake lies in the middle of the forest. On the eastern shore, woodpeckers feast on the dead pines that give the lake its name. Sometimes one can find Lady Death here, the Aspect of Eve also known as The Grandmother, or Jedwiga.

(Please PM happyturtle if you wish to interact with Jedwiga.)

http://i431.photobucket.com/albums/qq40/happyturtle-avs/p243360-Delray_Beach_FL-Wetlands_sc.jpg

[The Islands]

An island cluster forms an archipelago along the coast. Some of the islands are settled, some not, but most are at least occasionally visited by the fishermen who work these waters.

[Gersemi's Island]

Gersemi the seighkona lives on a small island in the archipelago with a single hut and a few sheep. Inside the hut, there is a single room, and a fireplace. A loom rests in one corner.

(Please PM happyturtle if you wish to interact with Gersemi.)

[Redbrick Falls]

A mountainous, cliffy region with a prominent waterfall. A large quarry once was worked in these cliffs. Now, only a few scattered villages and solitary dwellings remain.


[Norosa, Great City of the Elves]
A Lawful Evil city with an incredibly strong military and a very charismatic leader (Archmage Tyrion Lannister). It has a few CG resisters, but, otherwise, it is a city of peace and law, despite its evil nature.

[Brillian's Baneful Bestiary]
A secret series of caves where a mad scientist lives. A mad scientist who creates mutant attack creatures. These can be purchased for the right price.

[Auxiliary MagCave]

A relic from the days of the Age of Apocalypse, this abandoned cavern was once used by the infamous cyborg Magtok as a back-up laboratory and underground fortress, should Calublufiok have ever stormed the primary MagCave.


[The Katz Motel]
Located in the middle of Nowhere, our roadside motel is the only decent place for miles near the Taverna that has a bed. Run by a suave anthropomorphic cat, there is a strict No Dogs policy.
http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090705011306/courage/images/b/bc/Katz.png

A bellhop by the name of Bates is always ready to assist in carrying your luggage. Please ignore his constant mutterings about his mother. Other more unsavory employees can occasionally be found. Please try to avoid eye contact with them.

We at the Katz Motel wish to ensure you have a splendid stay. Any inconvenience due to randomly locking doors, giant spiders, secret passages, vampires, creepy paintings, and the occasional possession and subsequent exorcism are incredibly rare. Just look at our complaint cards! Not a single one mentions dying horribly in their sleep or becoming food for the monster in the basement.

And if you get bored, the owner will always be up for a game of sport, old boy.

((The Katz Motel is a horror filled place with the highest casualty rate of any motel in the Nexus area. Checking in is usually pretty easy and pleasant. Checking out is rare. Anyone can play the Motel and the NPCs within, free to invent their own horror. The NPCs within that can die usually only suffer death temporarily, the supernatural force causing the disturbances bringing them back to life for its own nefarious purposes. PCs get no benefit from this.))

[The Troll Cave]
A cave in a craggy hill. The undergrowth outside is trampled completely flat, and there's not much wildlife. There's a burned patch where a fire is sometimes there. Inside are a few large caves, linked by surprisingly smooth tunnels that look like something big has been regularly pushing through them.

[Blind Cat's Bluff]
A sheer cliff dropoff that travels straight down into the water, this is a favored point of people who commit suicide, romantics wanting to watch the sunset and anyone looking to get rid of evidence. The drop is pretty far and there are rocks at the bottom that spell almost certain doom, so watch your step.


PM Whoever's posted the current Outside thread if you wish to add locations to Outside.

[happyturtle]

[Little Village]

Zanny's eyes only show immense concern for Darcy. The fingers he has grasping the puppet-strings begin to slip, letting one or two cultists out of his grasp. The bard gives the remaining ones a command to stay where they are, and walks over to Darcy.

"Are you okay?"

It is not apparent, but he is struggling to control random lust brought on by a certain trickster bunny. The bard's moral concern for Darcy and his sense of reason keep the feeling under control, however.

"It was beautiful..." she says. Beautiful isn't the right word, but it's the closest she can come, and she reaches out for Zanny's hand.

Her geing covered with gore probably helps with the whole lust thing. :smallyuk:

[Shadowcaller]

[Little Village]

Since Zanny's taking care of Darcy, Kev figures he'll see what the situation is with the villagers and Nancy. After all, he's a bit of a specialist with mind-affecting things and knows there's sometimes side-effects. Not to mention the fact that most of the people have broken limbs and stuff, and he can at least help heal those.

[Little Village]

Nancy have gotten up, looking pretty angry all things considered. The other cultists are either crawling around on the ground moaning in pain or are still under Zanny's mind control, not doing anything special.

"Do you even understand what you have done?! That was supposed to be for us and the village! Not you!" She screams.

[VampireRot]

[Little Village]

Zanny takes Darcy's hand, despite the gore. I mean, you can't be a serious ancient dragon if you're grossed out by a bit of blood n' guts, can you?

The bard glares at Nancy, scowling and obviously not feeling in the least bit sorry for helping ruin the ceremony.

"Some warning would have been good in advance. Like 'oh hey, by the way, when you start playing the song a lust monster will appear and try to have sex with you'. You know, just as a heads up."

He lets go of the strings one by one, letting them off easy. But with final orders that should stay in their mind to "don't freak out and try to harm anyone".

[happyturtle]

[Little Village]

Darcy looks at Nancy. "Do you think I had a choice. He was calling me. I was the one he chose. That's why you brought us here."

Then the awe and amazement of the vision fades enough for her to take stock of her situation. :smalleek: :smallyuk: "I think I'm going to be sick."

[Murska]

Kev starts healing the people he can. He'll butt in on the argument later if he feels like it, right now his groove is being disturbed by moans of pain'n'stuff and people with broken limbs, despite the claims of some heavy metal bands, aren't the most receptible possible audience.

[Shadowcaller]

[Little Village]

Nancy stares at Zanny and Darcy, breathing heavily, "All would have been fine if you hadn't started panicking and interrupted everything! You told me it wasn't your god! He couldn't have called for you! It's my god! Mine!" She continues to ramble, still very angry.

"Now give me back my flute!" Nancy then demands, placing out her open palm.

At the same time Kev is trying to heal the cultists that appear more confused and thankful rather then angry, still not really sure what is going on for some reason.

"Wait, is it over already? It seemed so short..." a man in a goat mask asks Kev.

[The Bushranger]

Reposted from the other thread for Lex and Reinholdt:


[Beddling]

"Knockout gas," Quinn says, giving Melody a quick checkup. "You OK, Melody?"

[VampireRot]

[Little Village]

"As I said. We wouldn't have panicked if you had prepared us for... that... thing."

Zanny glares. And glances up for a second.

"Any- what? What's that on the mo-... Nevermind. Not our fault you used us to summon a monster."

[Murska]

"I wouldn't know, never been here before." Kev keeps healing the people. It's not his specialty but broken limbs aren't such a big deal.

[happyturtle]

Little Village

Darcy starts trying to get all the gore off herself, and trying not to throw up. "I don't know. I don't have it."

Her mood is split between grossed out, pissed off, and turned on, and if she wasn't covered in undead bits, she'd probably be dragging Zanny off into the shadows about now.

In Zanny's head, the bunny is smoking a cigarette.

[VampireRot]

[Little Village]

Zanny, at this moment, notices Darcy's discomfort with the gore. He plays a couple of chords on his lyre that should clean it all off. Bard! Magic!


[Imagination!]

Pinkie is smoking. Without the cigarette, as there are some benefits to being a dragon. :smallcool:

[Shadowcaller]

[Little Village]

"A monster?! Do you just judge by appearance? Didn't you see all the wonders it did? We would have been happy, everyone had been happy, you too. But instead you ruined it since you couldn't understand it..." Nancy shakes her head sadly "Do you know how many years it will take for the red moon to rise again? I will be a old grand mother by then!"

As Kev is going around healing people, he can see the hooded man they saw earlier approach them, going away from the village.

[happyturtle]

[Little Village]

Once cleaned of the gore, Darcy steps closer, putting her arms around Zanny and looking up into his eyes. "Did you see it?" Her transcendent expression might indicate that she doesn't mean 'did you see me slice the abomination to ribbons'.

[Zanny's Mind]

"How about for a followup, we raze the village and drag Darcy off as plunder?" :smallcool:

[VampireRot]

[Imagination]

"Ehwha? I'm lust. Not evil. Dat's the red bloke over there. Unless the razing also involved rape, I wouldn't be included."


[Little Village]

"When something is stitched up from the carcasses of dead things, you're generally allowed to judge from appearances and ask questions later. And it's not my problem." :smallannoyed:

Zanny then puts an arm around Darcy. His eyes show concern and confusion.

"No... I didn't. What happened?"

[happyturtle]

[Little Village]

Instead of answering, Darcy kisses Zanny.


[Zanny's head]

Bugs rolls over and goes to sleep.

[Murska]

[Little Village]

Kev notices the hooded man but ignores him while he's concentrating on his job. After he's done with the people, he'll gather any strings left intact from the earlier attempt, unless someone attempts to speak to him.

[VampireRot]

[Imagination]

Pinkie zips off to do his job.


[Little Village]

Zanny is a bit surprised at first, but then takes order of the situation. And by that, I mean returns the kiss with urgency. Trickster rabbits and lust rituals have been messing with his head, after all.

[Shadowcaller]

[Little Village]

Nancy curses "Infidels!"

Meanwhile the hooded man is surveying the area, looking at the various knocked out cultists and then shakes his head sadly and turns to Kev. "Would you be so nice to try to gather everyone stranger? Seems like we are skipping directly to dinner."

[Murska]

"All right, I guess." Kev packs away the rest of his stuff, takes out a guitar and plays a melody commanding everyone nearby to gather up. It's resistable, but he's kind of tired and not on the best of moods so he doesn't bother weakening the compulsion as much as usual.

[happyturtle]

[Little Village]

"Let's get out of here," Darcy whispers. "Just fly away."

Just abandoning Kev, huh? How rude!

[VampireRot]

[Little Village]

Zanny nods. And turns into a dragon, as he's really used a bit too much magic to fly with song. >.> Luckily, the shapeshifting is precise enough that he doesn't crush anything. He'll let Darcy mount at the base of his neck, then fly off to some make out spot. Or something.

Sorry Kev. :smalltongue:

[happyturtle]

[Skies]

"Take me to your lair?" Darcy suggests once they're airborne. "Woah, who did that to the moon?"

Silly Darcy. Your plot clone is already gawking at the moon in another thread. >.<

[VampireRot]

[Skies]

"I'm not sure. Who is eccentric but powerful enough to do it?"

Zanny adjusts his course to his lair. The entrance is concealed, but once inside...

Gold. Lots. And lots. Of gold.

Though, apparently thinking something like this might happen ahead of time, there is a king-sized bed with lots of fluffy billows and blankets and curtains at the base of the hoard.

[happyturtle]

[Lair]

Darcy gives barely a glance at the gold, and heads straight for the bed, shedding her mostly destroyed clothes as she goes.

[VampireRot]

[Lair]

Zanny gives a dragonic grin and shifts back to human form. He too sheds his clothes as he follows after Darcy to the bed. He embraces her, and curtains!

[happyturtle]

[Lair]

Curtains indeed. Guess Pinky's pretty chuffed. :smallamused:

Afterwards, Darcy lays in his arms and tells him about the vision she saw, with all the zeal of a fervent missionary.

[VampireRot]

[Lair]

Zanny, and by extension Pinkie, is very pleased.

Afterward, the bard seems very interested in the vision. He muses, and tries to memorize everything she describes. Who knows, he might be able to replicate it with a song, though he doubts he can get it as strong as the lust god thing did.

[Lex-Kat]

[Beddling]


"Someone accidentally hit a tank of knock-out gas the old man was keeping in his basement. That's my story and I'm sticking to it."

"The thugs are tied up downstairs, but the couple got away. Sorry, if I knew what was going on I would have chased them down instead."


"Knockout gas," Quinn says, giving Melody a quick checkup. "You OK, Melody?"
Just a bit of a headache.

Melody starts to stand up looking over to Reinholdt. That's okay. The thugs looked to be the more important target, I suspect. Since they were the ones with guns.

And what did you mean by "That's my story and I'm sticking to it."? she's a bit wobbly.

[happyturtle]

[Lair]

"What do you think it means?" she asks, tracing lines along his torso.

[VampireRot]

[Lair]

"I think... Nancy might have been a bit right. Sounds like a blessing, perhaps the lust god or whatever that was took a liking to you."

Zanny chuckles.

"Whatever it is, it sounds like a great feeling. Perhaps without the monster-kissing, I'd like to experience something like it."

[EleventhHour]

Crazy Paddleboat (dundun)

Truely, there isn't much to say at all for the moment, and any werebeasts or moonlight elves out enjoying the twilight hour might want to avert thier eyes more than a little. They can find the ring box, and ring in it, later. Right now there's a more pressing matter.

No, seriously, bugger off. Can't you see the catgirl and cyborg are a bit... busy?

[happyturtle]

[Lair]

"Lust god..." Darcy seems to snap out of her floaty post-curtain haze. :smalleek: "Oh no... what if it tries to make me into one of those priestesses that do anyone?"

[VampireRot]

[Lair]

"I don't think that'll happen. Seems like a one-time occurrence, at least from what Nancy said. Probably can only manifest when the moon is red like that."

Zanny gives a reassuring smile, and tries to squeeze her hand.

"Don't worry about it. I'll put it in its place if it tries anything."

[Reinholdt]

[Beddling]

Just a bit of a headache.

Melody starts to stand up looking over to Reinholdt. That's okay. The thugs looked to be the more important target, I suspect. Since they were the ones with guns.

And what did you mean by "That's my story and I'm sticking to it."? she's a bit wobbly.

"I mean that's what happened." Reinholdt goes to steady Melody.

"We still got the thugs tied up downstairs and some secret room I found. Might hold some clues."

[happyturtle]

[Lair]

"Well if it does come back, and I start acting weird, you won't let me do something I'll regret, right?" Darcy asks, worried.

[VampireRot]

[Lair]

"Definitely. You can count on me."

Zanny smiles. Though he can't always be at her side to help her if he needs to. :smalleek:

[happyturtle]

Lair

Darcy is silent for a while, snuggling contentedly.

"Zanny... how serious is this? Us?"

[VampireRot]

[Lair]

Zanny pauses for a moment. Then sighs, but gives Darcy a reassuring smile with unwavering eyes.

"... As serious as you want it to be."

Dragons don't easily make commitments with mortals. Mostly one-night stands due to the fear of falling in love with someone who's going to die in half a century. :smallannoyed: But Zanny has been assaulted by cupid or something. And is hoping that shapeshifters get longer lives. v.v

[happyturtle]

[Lair]

That's an answer that earns a long, tender kiss. "I'm not sure yet. It's hard for me to think straight around you." :smallredface:

[VampireRot]

[Lair]

Zanny returns the kiss.

"You can think about it as long as you want." :smallredface:

[happyturtle]

[Lair]

After a bit more making out, Darcy finally takes note of her surroundings a bit more.

"... That's a lot of gold." :smalleek:

[VampireRot]

[Lair]

Zanny grins sheepishly.

"I'm a dragon, it's my nature. What can I do about it?" :smalltongue:

The bard looks over his hoard with pride. His fingers itch to count each and every piece of gold once more, but he's gotten over that compulsion long ago. Darcy may note that there is a small shimmer in the air, about a foot in diameter, at the top of the gold pile. It is in fact a tiny portal to the bag chained around Zanny's neck.

[happyturtle]

[Lair]

Darcy grins mischievously. "I bet you roll around in it, don't you?"

[VampireRot]

[Lair]

Zanny squirms, slightly embarrassed.

"Well... Not exactly... Er... Yeah. It's fun." :smalltongue:

[happyturtle]

[Lair]

"Can I? Or would it trigger 'Rawwr! Mah treasure!' and make you eat me?" :smallbiggrin:

[VampireRot]

[Lair]

Zanny looks pleasantly surprised. Finally, someone who shared his interests of gold-rolling-around-in!

"Well, if you want to. Just don't steal anything. I know exactly how much is in here!" :smalltongue:

[happyturtle]

[Lair]

Darcy takes his hand to drag him with.

Wheee! Rolling in gold! And much giggling and silliness!

Sadly, no Scrooge McDuck-esque swimming, unless Zanny has that as a dragon power.

[VampireRot]

[Lair]

Zanny is dragged in! Sadly, he cannot make gold swimmable in without liquefying it, so they'll have to settle with rolling around on it. Giggling, silliness, and splashgold-fights abound. :smalltongue::smallbiggrin:

[happyturtle]

[Lair]

And of course Darcy has to test his claim to know every piece, by putting a piece in her mouth when he's looking the other way.

[VampireRot]

[Lair]

Zanny appears not to notice.

Until suddenly, he lunges for her, and tries to kiss her. And transfer the gold piece to his mouth in the kiss. Which is kinda weird, but he is a dragon. :smalltongue:

[Fan]

[Little Village]

As soon as her lips touch the puppet there is like a energy coursing through her body and she gets a glimpse of something that she might have a hard time to explain, something that is both beautiful and equally terrifying.

The music, the movement of flesh, the primal energy around them are just adding up to something greater, something raw, freedom beyond the boundaries of both man and nature, something that can't possibly be fully experienced by her limited mind but yet years for her.

It feels like she have some part to play within it, something that attracts this alien energy not only to her, but all thinking things. A part that this unfathomable intelligence that is not only lurking beyond this mere puppet, but the music and the energy itself wants to reach out to. Not only for itself, but them as well, like some type of weird sexual exchange.

This could with simple words be called freedom and lust unbounded, even beyond it's limits, and it want her to feel good, so good in fact that she will never need to worry about something else again.

It feels natural to be attracted to something that wants her to feel so good.

Slashing the puppet apart also feels natural, in fact, this entity wants itself to be able to feel the pain the animal it's made of would feel if they were still alive and got the same treatment. It's pain and pleasure united, something that an extreme masochism would feel just before a painful death.

How long this moment lasts, she can't tell, nor can she tell if this entity had any longer lasting effects on her, but then the connection between it and her is broken as she without realizing it have slashes the puppets head apart along with the rest of the body into a gory bloody mess, leaving nothing that could even be called humanoid behind.

The most of the puppet seems to be covering her at this point in fact, only some rotten flesh and blood left on the ground.

To the others, Darcy and the puppet seemed to move in a blur, Kev could see her kissing and slashing up it at the same time in a rapid series of movements. When he was able to reach it, Darcy had already torn the puppet into pieces if the remains of it even can be called that.

Which is also the state Zanny's mind controlled cultists will find it in.



[A few minutes ago]

To those with a telescope, or other appropriate means of vision:

In the center of this red moon there is a blot that appears, small from it's current orbital position, but growing large and fast. Gaining definition as it revealed itself to be a monolithic figure. Towering, and with arms spread. Wrists limp, and a crimson countenance that would make those unaccustomed to such sights quaver in fear at it's beastial nature, it's needle like teeth bared in an angry, threatening gesture. Yet, as it grew. It became more apparent that the beast was bound, entwined inside a monolithic pillar half way. Trapped forever, and half entombed as it's decent continues to grow larger, revealing that is was in fact as large as a building.. yet lithe if it's dainty wrists and long slender limbs were any indicator of it's general body size.

The monolith impacted a far away hill, and cascading and earth shaking rumble that quaked throughout many miles, what was once a hill, became a crater, Earth turned to dust, and rock pummeled into pieces it lay there.. inert, it's 8 eyes dead, and lifeless.. yet within, a fire stirred, and along the back, cracks began to form and a single being issued forth from the break that appeared, clad in naught but a tattered flight suit, and his silver hair gleaming in the now silver moonlight as his red eyes scanned into the night, seeking out refuge for the night, or civilization if such a thing was possible..

Soon he came to a meandering creek, small, yet deep enough for one to lose their fore arm in it. The "boy" almost immediately leapt upon it, drinking from it in loud thirsty gulps that left him gasping for air on the dirt, and as he lay panting.. he looked up to the sky, gazing upon the unfamiliar stars, and the unfamiliar moon.. and the strangest thing came from his lips, a simple saying with a myriad of meanings.

"Another unfamiliar ceiling..."

[happyturtle]

[Lair]

:biggrin:

Darcy is laughing so hard by this time that she can barely kiss him back. But she manages. Somehow.

[VampireRot]

[Lair]

Zanny, after finishing the kiss and spitting out the coin, joins in on the laughter. :smallbiggrin:

[happyturtle]

[Lair]

"How often do you have to deal with greedy adventurers?"

[VampireRot]

[Lair]

"Well, since I moved all this to the Nexus, I haven't had too many problems. But when I was in other universes, I fought my fair share of plunderers."

That's not a charred skull over there. It's fake. From Halloween. Promise. >.>

[happyturtle]

[Lair]

Darcy looks at him, biting her lip a little self-consciously. "Could I see your dragon form again?" :smallredface: After all, the first time was in the middle of a dancefight, and the second time under the effects of the Dancer's Moon. She hasn't really been able to pay attention.

[VampireRot]

[Lair]

Zanny blinks, surprised.

"Okay."

He steps back a little, and with a *poof!*, Zaniltorkenthroth lords over his hoard of gold and gems. The large dragon looks at Darcy with amusement.

"You're much smaller from up here."

[happyturtle]

[Lair]

Darcy walks around him, running her hand along his scales, and trying to reconcile this creature with the hawt guy she's been falling for. She gets back around to the front and looks up into his eyes. Way up. Way way up. "I can't believe I'm dating a dragon."

[VampireRot]

[Lair]

Zaniltorkenthroth just gives a draconic grin. His eyes sparkle in the same way they do as a human. Reassuringly. :smallsmile:

[happyturtle]

[Lair]

Darcy climbs the horde until she's high enough to hug him and kiss him gently on the eye ridge.

[Rebonack]

[None-too Far from the Impact Sight]

In a forest.

Near a stream.

Between a gnarled old oak and a beach tree, set half way up a steep hill swaying with dry autumn grass...

There's a hole.

Not a dank, smelly hole with worm-ends poking out. Nor a hobbit hole housing a fat little hairy-footed person. No, this is a dry sandy hole filled with grass and leaves and more than a few grouse feathers.

A fox hole.

And in it lives a fox.

Not just any fox, mind you. A rather unusual fox. But unusual animals are the norm around here. Happening upon a totally mundane fox seems like an increasingly rare event. Almost makes one wonder of what use a word like normal even-

Oh now I'm rambling.

And the fox is scrambling.

Out of his hole, specifically. Mostly because of the earth-shaking kablewy that resulted from something rather large crashing into the ground not too far away. This leaves him both cross and nervous. Usually when something crashes into the earth, announcing its arrival with a thunderous impact, it means trouble is afoot.

Good thing our fox rather likes trouble.

Out of the den bounds a snow-white fox, swirled with shimmering orange sigils that swim and flow and twist and curl. The tip of his amusingly paintbrush-like tail shimmers with a splotch of prismatic paint, the odd drop flung heaven-knows-where as he bounces across the field and toward his nose.

And what does his nose follow?

Why the smell of new-person of course! Those who have been trapped in the Nexus for some time tend to take on a rather distinct scent. And those recently dumped into the roiling dimensional chaos carry the smell of wherever they've been before.

This one smells interesting!

Down the hill, between the trees, splashing across the stream, and then a leap atop an old moss-covered granite boulder.

The newcomer now has a rather peculiar looking fox peering at him, the prismatic tip of his tail twitching playfully.

[Fan]

[Not very far at all]

At first, the silver haired youth takes no notice of the prismatic fox, but something colored so garishly is likely to draw attention even from an unfocused eye.

The boy turns, setting his disturbingly red orange eyes upon the prismatic colored tail, eyes tracing down to the surprisingly special fox on the ground.

Now there is something you should know about this youth, where he came from things came in two forms: Elder Horror, and Mundane. So the recoil that comes from the boy is not one of fear, but of practiced reaction. A dodge roll back, splayed fingers bringing him to a stop.. and then he looks around, seeing no immediate threat he relaxes.. but holds his stance.

"It seems you.. are not an immediate threat.. I must be drinking from your water source.. and these are likely your hunting grounds.. What a mess I've made."


He muses aloud, his left hand twitching oddly, as if the boy had some form of a muscle twitch, as he does so he looks around for game trails and such.. wondering just how many of these foxes there might be, and if it had kits there would be more than usual.. and well, one does not mess with a mamma anything.

[VampireRot]

[Lair]

Darcy climbs the horde until she's high enough to hug him and kiss him gently on the eye ridge.

[Lair]

Zaniltorkenthroth makes a cooing noise that is slightly like a cat's purr. The dragon shifts his weight to gently nuzzle Darcy.

[happyturtle]

[Lair]

D'awwww...



I really don't have anything else to add. I'll just tiptoe out and leave them to it.

[Rebonack]

[Near the Impact-Sight]

Now Avatar is generally pretty good at telling when someone mistakes him for a normal animal. It's happened before after all. Muting his appearance isn't terribly difficult. But when someone reacts to something as colorful as he in such a fashion it means one of two things.

They're use to peculiar wildlife.

Or they simply don't care.

The Far-Fox could keep up the act easily enough, oh certainly. But with an introductory comment like that one?

"Not immediately, no. I'm mostly harmless."

Not a chance.

"Unless you're here to cause trouble," the fox quirks his head off to the side a bit, one ear folding half-way down. "You aren't here to cause trouble are you? It's too early in the morning for that."

As if to hammer home this point Avatar streaaaaatches and yawns.

[VampireRot]

[Lair]

D'awwww...



I really don't have anything else to add. I'll just tiptoe out and leave them to it.

[Lair]

:smallredface:

Adorable...


Now, where's that little cupid fella? I need to go lecture him about his powers.

[Fan]

[Near the Impact-Sight]

Now Avatar is generally pretty good at telling when someone mistakes him for a normal animal. It's happened before after all. Muting his appearance isn't terribly difficult. But when someone reacts to something as colorful as he in such a fashion it means one of two things.

They're use to peculiar wildlife.

Or they simply don't care.

The Far-Fox could keep up the act easily enough, oh certainly. But with an introductory comment like that one?

"Not immediately, no. I'm mostly harmless."

Not a chance.

"Unless you're here to cause trouble," the fox quirks his head off to the side a bit, one ear folding half-way down. "You aren't here to cause trouble are you? It's too early in the morning for that."

As if to hammer home this point Avatar streaaaaatches and yawns.


At first the youth is aghast, even the Elder horrors had been speechless abominations that would scar the minds of man, brave or otherwise, and would rend the will of armies.. but one that spoke?

One that displayed civility? That was completely unheard of and a concept so alien.. that for a moment there is nothing but the sounds of the forest between them.. but he was not one to stay as such for long, and a stammering reply issued from his lips.

"Trouble? If you.. You know what never mind. No, I'm not.

Trouble is.. bad... something that is likely to end in my death.

I will try to be civil though, I am.. It's been so long..

There is a lengthened pause here, it seems the boy has legitimate trouble remembering his name, but the glare of thought in his eyes shows that it is from simple disuse rather than any cliche amnesia.

"I am.. I am, no.. I will forge myself. I am Llyod.. and what may I call you?"

[Rebonack]

[Near the Impact Sight]

Thankfully not something as cliche as amnesia. That would be dreadfully overdone. Especially coming from someone that looks like they could be a Protagonist.

As for mind-rending, Avatar wouldn't be too keen on that. Not only is blasting someone's sanity a terrible way to get to know them it would also result in his form dissolving due to the hostile alien environment.

The Stars Aren't Right after all.

Nope, he's quite content to inhabit the physical body that was built for him. Makes interacting with people more pleasant for everyone.

"Oooh, introductions!" the fox yips, sounding rather bemused by the opportunity he's being given. "My name's-"

He says his name.

It's not so much a sound as it is a feeling. A whimsical, surreal wildness. A thing of dreams and possibility that stretches into infinity. A thing of vast open skies. Of forests and fields and meadows. Sweltering heat and bitter cold. Of all the untamed things that roam there. Brighter than the sun, darker than the reaches of the night sky. Deeper than the roots of the mountains, older than the dance of the stars.

Change and life and growth. The unfettered power of the dreaming imagination and the glory of birthing something new. Peace and wonder and joy and more than a little mischievous fun.

It's real. Full of vibrancy and color and shape and feeling.

So real that all else seems drab and indistinct by contrast.

"-but that's really hard to pronounce so most people call me 'Avatar!'" comes the rather exuberant reply. "Nice to meetcha Llyod! So what brings you to my neck of the woods if not for trouble?"

[Fan]

The name.. is an odd feeling for Lloyd, his body wants to be elated by it, but it's simply.. too hardened against such feelings for it to be properly registered.. a sad thing it is, to be unable to feel happiness properly, but that is the price one pays for a life of dedication, and for a terminal velocity impact. He nods politely, and stands straight, shoulders back, eyes forward.. and replies.


"An incredibly sad string of events. Ones which I am not proud of. Right now though, I'm just looking for a place to rest, preferably somewhere where I wont be eaten."

He says shaking his head, his stomach was a gnarled knot, but he had slated his thirst, sleep was his next priority.. he had to keep a day cycle or his ability to hunt and look for civilization would be ruined in the dark oppressive canopy that hung above.

"That isn't your issue though. I'll see what I can do about the monolithic hunk of rock back there soon.. and I also apologize for likely ruining a part of your home."

[Rebonack]

[Near the Impact Sight]

Not terribly surprising that the young man is somewhat calloused to this sort of thing. If he really has had any sort of contact with terrible unearthly things that's the sort of mind required not to be reduced to a gibber, quivering mass.

"I can understand the desire to avoid being eaten," the fox admits, nodding his lil' head sagely. "And there are a couple of places you could go I guess. Some are even nearby! My home is just over there," another nod toward the sandy hill none too distant.

"You could sleep there if you weren't about four times too large! But you are so that won't work. There's a campground that's just down stream a little ways, I'm sure that they wouldn't mind if you sleep in the lodge there. They have beds and everything!"

Then a toothy grin at the home-ruining comment.

"This place goes through quite a bit on a regular basis. Giant rocks from space aren't going to mess things up too much."

[WarKitty]

Reposted for Bushranger


[Cliffs Cave]

The upper left corner of the door beeps at Quinn, and a purple light near the middle starts blinking. Nothing else happens.

[happyturtle]

[Lair]

Mid snuggle, Darcy :smalleek:'s.

"We left Kev there by himself!"

[VampireRot]

[Lair]

Zanny's dragon expression is hard to read. He knew they did, but is feeling a bit guilty anyway.

"You're right. Perhaps we should fly back and see how he fares?"

After they get dressed, of course. *whaps neked dragon :smallyuk:*

[happyturtle]

[Lair]

He wears clothes in his dragon form? *tries to picture a dragon with pants on*

"I hope they didn't do anything bad to him." :smalleek: Darcy slides down the gold. Wheeee!

She gets dressed, after casting Mending on her clothes, then climbs aboard her dragon to fly back to the village.

[VampireRot]

[Lair]

No, but he took off his clothes, so if he shapeshifted back to hooman form he'd be neked. :smalltongue: What happens to clothes and items is vague in shapeshifting. v.v

While Darcy gets dressed, so does Zanny. He shrinks down to put on his clothes and grabs his lyre. Then *poofs!* back into green dragon form.

To the village!

[happyturtle]

[Little Village]

Darcy apparently rips her clothes and magically mends them. Happy just uses shapeshifting to make clothes on herself, the way the T-1000 does. Which makes no sense unless it's skin tight. But somehow it works.

They return to the village some hours after they left and probably fly overhead first to scout before landing and looking for Kev.

[Lord Magtok]

Crazy Paddleboat (dundun)

Truely, there isn't much to say at all for the moment, and any werebeasts or moonlight elves out enjoying the twilight hour might want to avert thier eyes more than a little. They can find the ring box, and ring in it, later. Right now there's a more pressing matter.

Harry Paddleboat and the Ring of Matrimony

Sometime later, whilst cuddling on the soft grass of the hill, Magtok takes his time slooooowly sliding the engagement ring onto Elly's delicate little finger, whispering gently into her ear as he does so.

Oh, and there's still one last surprise left. Point the ring at one of those trees or something down there, and focus real hard on what it'd look like if it were bright and shiny instead of covered in brown bark and green leaves and stuff.

Should she do as asked, the blue diamond will glow momentarily, a thread-thin beam of light will stretch between the tree and the ring, and then ZAP! A tree as shiny as a gemstone appears in its place!

[happyturtle]

[On a Hill but not the same hill]

Moff and Edgar appear from the Yellow Road. If Edgar wants a sharkmantooth knife, all he needs to do is kill a sharkman and take his teeth. Or bribe a sharkman dentist. The knife doesn't open the portal though. Moff just uses it to be showy.

Moff pulls a tutu and a cheap plastic tiara out of hammerspace. Don't ask why he has those things. It's just better not to. "Put these on so everyone will know you're a magical princess." :smallbiggrin:

[VampireRot]

[Little Village]

There's a huge green dragon flying above it! Zanny scans the ground for Kev with his excellent draconic sight.

[ThirdEmperor]

[On a Hill but not the same hill]

Moff and Edgar appear from the Yellow Road. If Edgar wants a sharkmantooth knife, all he needs to do is kill a sharkman and take his teeth. Or bribe a sharkman dentist. The knife doesn't open the portal though. Moff just uses it to be showy.

Moff pulls a tutu and a cheap plastic tiara out of hammerspace. Don't ask why he has those things. It's just better not to. "Put these on so everyone will know you're a magical princess." :smallbiggrin:

I warn you, not only will how painfully I beat the s*** out off you once I escape the contract be directly proportionate to how many times you try stuff like this, but you may wish to get a video camera. This is going to be far more amusing than you thought. Edgar says, removing his jacket and donning the tutu. Which promptly switches places with the jacket.

[happyturtle]

[Not Magtok's Hill]

"Ha! Nice try... Everyone knows you can't get out of a pinky swear contract." :smallsmile:

Moff gets a video camera.

[ThirdEmperor]

What follows is probably best presented speeded up and to trombone music, as Edgar runs around attempting to put on the tutu only to have it teleport elsewhere as it is replaced by his jacket.

[happyturtle]

Everything's funny to Benny Hill music! =D

[EleventhHour]

Paddleboat of the Rings

She does, and it's shiny! "Oooh..." Elle considers this for a moment then cackles! "Ullltimate cooooooosmic Poooooooooooooooweaaaaaaaaaahh!" And proceeds to gem-i-fy the entire surrounding hillside.

...Okay, maybe giving that to a catgirl wasn't the best of ideas.

Yeah, she's still trying to make more things shiny. Definitly not the best idea.

[The Bushranger]

[Beddling]


Just a bit of a headache.

Melody starts to stand up looking over to Reinholdt. That's okay. The thugs looked to be the more important target, I suspect. Since they were the ones with guns.

And what did you mean by "That's my story and I'm sticking to it."? she's a bit wobbly.


"I mean that's what happened." Reinholdt goes to steady Melody.

"We still got the thugs tied up downstairs and some secret room I found. Might hold some clues."

"Such as who this The Master is," Quinn says, frowning, and walking back over to the thugs. Picking Mr. Bashful, and looking at him. "How about we ask him. I think he'll break first."

****

[Cliffs Cave]


The upper left corner of the door beeps at Quinn, and a purple light near the middle starts blinking. Nothing else happens.

"Hello? Open says me? I just triggered a trap that's going to try and blast me to kingdom come, haven't I?"

Quinn shakes her head, stepping off to the side, and raising her personal shield. Just in case.

"Take me to your leader?"

[Lord Magtok]

To Kill A Paddlebird

Magtok smiles warmly.

I knew you'd like it.

And then a few shinifyings later, he's starting to wonder if this was such a great idea.

You umm...you can lower the ring any time, y'know. Elly, just-

Oh shoot, I think that was a gnome hit by the last people. Good thing the effect wears off after a few hours, though.

Elly, c'mon. Let's not go too crazy with the-

An elf is struck and frozen in place, and suddenly Magtok stops caring, and just snuggles her as everything in the general vicinity becomes sparkly and pretty.

[ThirdEmperor]

[Benny Hill]

I think a Proto-Exalt chasing a tutu around a hill is always funny. :)

Can I stop yet, or do you require more convincing that this is impossible? Edgar says, as the tutu once again disappears.

[happyturtle]

[Hill]

"So why is it impossible? You have a super jealous jacket or something?" Moff says, munching on popcorn.

[ThirdEmperor]

If you were eternally reincarnated you would understand. It a real pain in the a** to have to get new clothes every time you die, so I had mine enchanted to always follow me. Except hats, it's very hard to enchant hats unless you practice hat magic, or so I've heard. Edgar says, trying to trick the tutu by pretending to ignore it then diving for it.

[Fan]

[Near the Impact Sight]

Not terribly surprising that the young man is somewhat calloused to this sort of thing. If he really has had any sort of contact with terrible unearthly things that's the sort of mind required not to be reduced to a gibber, quivering mass.

"I can understand the desire to avoid being eaten," the fox admits, nodding his lil' head sagely. "And there are a couple of places you could go I guess. Some are even nearby! My home is just over there," another nod toward the sandy hill none too distant.

"You could sleep there if you weren't about four times too large! But you are so that won't work. There's a campground that's just down stream a little ways, I'm sure that they wouldn't mind if you sleep in the lodge there. They have beds and everything!"

Then a toothy grin at the home-ruining comment.

"This place goes through quite a bit on a regular basis. Giant rocks from space aren't going to mess things up too much."


The boy was indeed calloused, and it showed well, at the offer of the home he merely shakes his head bemusedly. The fox had a wit only too befitting it's prismatic nature, and he appreciated it's attempts at humor, even if his dulled senses wouldn't allow him to feel it correctly.. maybe that was due to some spinal or brain damage? He would have to get that checked out.

At the mention of a campground, and that it was connected to the stream, the youth straightens, and stands at military attention... though you think this may just be his posture.. and says.

"Thank you for the help, I will.. return as soon as possible, and if you could.. though I am loathe to ask this favor after you have already done so much. Would you look after the monolith for me? It's quite a bit more than a chunk of space rock to me.. and I would be eternally grateful for your service.

He shifts uneasily in place once he is finished, clearly unused to having to depend on others for anything, his hands twitching oddly in rhythm to his words.

[EleventhHour]

Paddleboats... of JUSTICE

"Mwahahah Ahahah!" Well, everything within reach of the diamondizing laser is now crystal and shiny. And Elly looks a liiittle bit ashamed. "So, um... We don't have to mention this to anyone, do we?"

[Lord Magtok]

The Manchurian Paddleboat

Magtok just grins, takes her by the hand that doesn't have the scary ring, and steps back towards their mode of transportation.

Of course not. If anyone asks, we can just blame drunken pixies or something.

He pauses thoughtfully for a moment, before turning back towards his fiancée.

So...umm...now that we're engaged and stuff, what happens next? I mean right now, what do we do next, do we start thinking about setting things up for the big day, picking a day, stuff like that? Or do we just go running around and telling everyone who hasn't already figured it out? :smallconfused:

[happyturtle]

If you were eternally reincarnated you would understand. It a real pain in the a** to have to get new clothes every time you die, so I had mine enchanted to always follow me. Except hats, it's very hard to enchant hats unless you practice hat magic, or so I've heard. Edgar says, trying to trick the tutu by pretending to ignore it then diving for it.

Moff tries to stab the jacket to pin it to the ground. "Put the tiara on at least."

[Rebonack]

[Near the Impact Sight]

All the while through this conversation the fox's tail has been bouncing back and forth bemusedly, flinging shimming globs of Dream Essence every which way. Wherever the strange fluid lands thing... change.

Mostly just the growth of random wildflowers.

Though a nearby gooseberry bush just spontaneously mutated into a giant crab. The rather confused crustacean is somewhat baffled by its abrupt gain of consciousness and skitters away in a daze.

"You want me to watch your giant rock for you?" Avatar inquires in a quizzical tone. "Well... I guess I could. Are you expecting it to try to run away or something?"

Normally that probably wouldn't be an issue what with the immobile nature of rocks in general. But around here...

[Fan]

"No.. It's not that. I just don't want any aspiring prospector sticking his mining pick in it."

He says, quirking his eyebrow when the giant crab appears.. he had planned to eat some of those gooseberries on the trail.. but now it seemed he would have to go grab hunting if he desired that particular substance..

"I'm not going to force you though.. it's.. just a personal request."

Again the uneasy shiftiness enters his motion, his left hand twitching in rhythm with the words.. he had no magic with which to pad this scene, but he surveyed it as uneasily as if he had, before continuing...

"And um.. Which way is "down the creek"?"

[Rebonack]

[Near the Impact Sight]

"Down the creek is that way," the young man sitting atop the moss-covered boulder comments, pointing in said direction with the end of his staff. From said end wobbles an incense pan smoldering with sweet smoke and arcane blue flame. "It's maybe fifteen minutes walk or so."

What?

He was totally human the whole time.

So obvious.

After all, who has ever heard of a fox talking?

That's just silly.

[Fan]

[Near the Impact Sight]

"Down the creek is that way," the young man sitting atop the moss-covered boulder comments, pointing in said direction with the end of his staff. From said end wobbles an incense pan smoldering with sweet smoke and arcane blue flame. "It's maybe fifteen minutes walk or so."

What?

He was totally human the whole time.

So obvious.

After all, who has ever heard of a fox talking?

That's just silly.

Lloyd rubs his eyes for a second.. that.. that was simply impossible.. he had been sure he had seen a fox.. a beautiful one with a prismatic tail.. However, that could've simply be hallucinations.. Which meant a concussion.. possibly brain damage.

Both of which were things that Lloyd A: Could not deal with, and B: Would likely die from, in the case of the latter...

Then the third option came into his mind, an option, which he did not relish. That this creature was that of his enemy.. and that he had come to their world. That.. would be most unpleasant.

"T..Thanks. I'll um.. send some food and some spirits back when I can.. and I will return, so.. be well.

He then walks, his movements lithe, and graceful.. not quite acrobatic, but of one experienced in quick, smooth, and fluid movements.. and the odd boy vanished into the underbrush, leaving behind the half entombed monolithic figure behind, an orange fluid that smelled faintly of blood issuing from the hole in the large stone at the back, a circle of white can JUST be seen inside the hole, leaving much to question as to exactly what the monolith was.

[Rebonack]

[Near the Impact Sight]

"You too!" Avatar calls after the flatly confused young man, waving rather cheerfully. "I'll make sure no one pillages your funny smelling rock while you're gone! The people at GLoG are nice, but a little strange!"

But then...

A little strange is also the norm in these parts. So that shouldn't make too much of a difference.

And as the youth departs Avatar steps off the rock and up to the giant monolith. How he managed to do this in a single step given the distance between said rock and said GIANT rock isn't plainly clear. The laws of physics begin to protest, but quickly decide to hell with it and focus on some poor kid's ice cream falling off the cone instead.

Avatar prods the monolith with the end of his staff.

Not that the staff is particularly magical or anything. Just a length of hardwood caped with bronze and painted red.

[Fan]

[Near the Impact Sight]

"You too!" Avatar calls after the flatly confused young man, waving rather cheerfully. "I'll make sure no one pillages your funny smelling rock while you're gone! The people at GLoG are nice, but a little strange!"

But then...

A little strange is also the norm in these parts. So that shouldn't make too much of a difference.

And as the youth departs Avatar steps off the rock and up to the giant monolith. How he managed to do this in a single step given the distance between said rock and said GIANT rock isn't plainly clear. The laws of physics begin to protest, but quickly decide to hell with it and focus on some poor kid's ice cream falling off the cone instead.

Avatar prods the monolith with the end of his staff.

Not that the staff is particularly magical or anything. Just a length of hardwood caped with bronze and painted red.

Somewhere, the laws of physics are weeping, but in a setting like nexus, they are likely in the psychiatric ward, gibbering in whatever straight jacket that could contain a physical law.

However, in the realm of pseudo RP reality, Avatar lands gracefully on the monolith, landing wherever he did please, finding that the rock had many hand holds.. though many of them were unstable looking, as well as a few decent looking points where one could stand.

When Avatar prods the "rock" closest to him it crumbles away at the touch of the staff, the once dense and strong rock having grown weak, and brittle after the superheating, and then rather fast cooling of reentry into the atmosphere, and the subsequent crashing near a source of natural water.

As it crumbles away, gleaming.. metal.. a red as deep and rich as a ruby, with gold tracework in the cracks that this metal plating seems to have.. the monolith remains still however, a bird perching itself atop the towering object, deciding that the relative safety of the height it provided would make for a fine nest.

[ThirdEmperor]

Moff tries to stab the jacket to pin it to the ground. "Put the tiara on at least."

Edgar dons the tiara, and the jacket is stabbed. Then promptly teleports onto Edgar again and begins to mend itself. It's pretty much indestructible. Enchanting it to follow me around wouldn't be much good if it was destroyed the first time I got set on fire.

[Rebonack]

[The Impact Sight]

Avatar eyes the metal as its stony tomb/cocoon/thingy sloughs off at even a rather half-hearted prodding. This is certainly interesting. Maybe the new kid showed up in some kind of giant robot?

Giant robots are always fun.

Don't get too many of them around here.

Hopefully the Empire won't try to asplode it on account of being silly.

But yeah...

Giant robot makes sense. The heroic giant robot pilots are always kids for some weird reason. And they have Important Hair! The cards are all lining up...

Avatar backs up a few paces, sticks his tongue out of the side of his mouth, and then gets a running start to poll-vault atop the towering monolith.

He hits the side of the thing with a thud about four feet of the ground.

Ouch...

[happyturtle]

Edgar dons the tiara, and the jacket is stabbed. Then promptly teleports onto Edgar again and begins to mend itself. It's pretty much indestructible. Enchanting it to follow me around wouldn't be much good if it was destroyed the first time I got set on fire.

"So why not wear the jacket and the tutu at the same time?" Moff asks.

[Fan]

The shiny shape is indeed humanoid, or so you can guess from the tips of it's outstretched fingers, and the head that stuck out, 4 eyes on either side that seemed to be mostly.. unharmed for some reason you can't quite tell from this distance. What is most odd, that you can discern about it from the distance you are at. Is that it seems to have massive cables, woven in a formation that could only be applied by human hands where it's jaw should be.. as if.. it had a mouth? But who would design a robot with a mouth?

Let alone one that needed to be sealed.

The pole vaulting.. is rather silly, and the impact gets Avatar a face full of soot, and orange blood like liquid.. what should surprise him is that the liquid, thrums.. no BREATHES life. In it, he can see the infinite potential of all races that man has seen, and many it has not. In it.. he will feel the breath of life, dulled, and hurt.. but alive.. this massive thing was not in fact a work of man, but a living creature.. but then.. the boy.. how had he.. was he the spawn of such a creature?

Whatever the speculations.. this was all making less and less sense to the average person, however much sense it made to Avatar.. is yet to be seen.

[ThirdEmperor]

"So why not wear the jacket and the tutu at the same time?" Moff asks.

Because it's somewhat sentient due to all the enchantments. Magic something enough and it kind of takes on a life of it's own. It would probably try to kill the tutu..... Or me.

[happyturtle]

"Oooh! I want to see that! Epic battle of the clothing!" :smallbiggrin:

[ThirdEmperor]

Sighing, Edgar dons the tutu and the jacket... does nothing. You little traitor. Edgar growls at it.

[happyturtle]

[Not MagHill]

Moff applauds. "There. Now keep that on for the rest of the day. And no attacking AMEN, ever. Now you can go do princessey things."

[ThirdEmperor]

Edgar doesn't waste a second in shooting off towards Inside.

[happyturtle]

Moff poofs away via portal.

[Recaiden]

[Beach]

Cleo sits on a rock outside a cave, playing a mournful banjo tune and watching the waves come in.

[The Bushranger]

((Hm, did I miss a post from you for the airship place?))

[Somewhere near Cleo?]

A Junco flies in and lands on a bush, fluffing his feathers and starting to preen.

[Recaiden]

((No, I just completely lost track of what was happening there. And ran out of ideas))

[Beach]

Cleo looks over at the bird and smiles. Then she looks back to the ocean and continues her song. And deadtimes. ((Good night, BR.))

[The Bushranger]

[Beach]

Tom the Junco seeps, then tucks his head under a wing, and sleeps.

((Ah. Well, we can say stuff happens offscreen, or whatever.
And, good night!))

[Shadowcaller]

[The Temple of Artaris]

Despite it's name, it appears this community is much more then a temple, there is a whole village surrounding a white walled building at it's center, with a high tower at it's peak.

The village itself is pretty large, a farming/trading community by the looks of it with a caravan just arriving to it.

Nearby is a large dense looking forest that- "Hello, have you heard of the light of Artaris?" Gah! Where did you come from?!

...apparently a young woman in a lose conservative dress have surprised you somehow, how did she even do that? with some pamphlets held tightly in her hands.

She looks at the group with young native excited eyes, she is somewhat on the plump side which makes you really wonder how she managed to sneak up on you like that.

[Moff Chumley]

"Go away or I shall sic my vampire on you." Aw, Moff, that's not polite. :smallfrown:.

[WarKitty]

[Cliffs Cave]



"Hello? Open says me? I just triggered a trap that's going to try and blast me to kingdom come, haven't I?"

Quinn shakes her head, stepping off to the side, and raising her personal shield. Just in case.

"Take me to your leader?"

It beeps again. Not a very cooperative door.

[VampireRot]

[The Temple of Artaris]

Rot, looking grumpy under his Hello Cthulhu umbrella, glares at the young woman.

"No. Do tell."

The vampire's sarcastic voice gives a "subtle" hint that he does not, in fact, want to be told about the light of Artanis.

Moff also gets a glare. Rot is not "your" vampire! :smallmad:

[Murska]

[Little Village]

Kev kinda... looks around. Everyone's gone. Happy ending, or perhaps a tragic one, but nobody cares about him anymore.

That suits him just fine. *blink* And he's gone. He didn't do anything this time, which is also just as well with him. After all, the less he interferes, the better he can mind his own business.

[VampireRot]

[Little Village]

Kev kinda... looks around. Everyone's gone. Happy ending, or perhaps a tragic one, but nobody cares about him anymore.

That suits him just fine. *blink* And he's gone. He didn't do anything this time, which is also just as well with him. After all, the less he interferes, the better he can mind his own business.

[Little Village]

Zanny spots him from the air with his "super" sight. But before the dragon can swoop down or call out a greeting, kev poofs away. The bard addresses Darcy, who is on his back.

"Huh. I saw him, but now he's gone. Looks like he's fine. What'do you want to do now?"

[Morty]

[The Temple of Artaris]

Despite it's name, it appears this community is much more then a temple, there is a whole village surrounding a white walled building at it's center, with a high tower at it's peak.

The village itself is pretty large, a farming/trading community by the looks of it with a caravan just arriving to it.

Nearby is a large dense looking forest that- "Hello, have you heard of the light of Artaris?" Gah! Where did you come from?!

...apparently a young woman in a lose conservative dress have surprised you somehow, how did she even do that? with some pamphlets held tightly in her hands.

She looks at the group with young native excited eyes, she is somewhat on the plump side which makes you really wonder how she managed to sneak up on you like that.

Nope. Should I have?

[Shadowcaller]

[Little Village]

[The Temple of Artaris]

Completely oblivious that something called 'sarcasm' even exists, the girl smiles with glee. It doesn't seem she have heard Moff either, or is just ignoring him for the time being "Oh, yes you should, it is what guides you everyday through your entire life, making you do what's right and not do anything evil or immoral, everyone is guided by this light, but they don't just know it." She tells them without pause.

[The Bushranger]

[Beddling]


"Such as who this The Master is," Quinn says, frowning, and walking back over to the thugs. Picking Mr. Bashful, and looking at him. "How about we ask him. I think he'll break first."


---

[Cliffs Cave]



It beeps again. Not a very cooperative door.

Quinn sighs. "Fine, then. See how you like this."

...and, stepping back, she aims a sonic blast squarly at the blinking light in the middle of the door...

...then pauses, just before firing.
Tilts her head.
Then steps forwards, and tries pressing the light.

[Morty]

[Little Village]

[The Temple of Artaris]

Completely oblivious that something called 'sarcasm' even exists, the girl smiles with glee. It doesn't seem she have heard Moff either, or is just ignoring him for the time being "Oh, yes you should, it is what guides you everyday through your entire life, making you do what's right and not do anything evil or immoral, everyone is guided by this light, but they don't just know it." She tells them without pause.

Really. Michalson raises his eyebrows, managing to keep a straight face.

[VampireRot]

[Little Village]

[The Temple of Artaris]

Completely oblivious that something called 'sarcasm' even exists, the girl smiles with glee. It doesn't seem she have heard Moff either, or is just ignoring him for the time being "Oh, yes you should, it is what guides you everyday through your entire life, making you do what's right and not do anything evil or immoral, everyone is guided by this light, but they don't just know it." She tells them without pause.

[The Temple of Artaris]

"Excuse me for a second."

Rot holds up a finger, then turns around.

"Bwahahhahahahhahahhahahahahhaaha! Mfffahahahhahahahaaabwahahaha! Hoawhoohohohhoha! Pffft"right"pfftahhhahhahahhhaa!"

This... probably goes on for a while. Yeah. Rot can't hold a straight face. :smalltongue:

[Shadowcaller]

[The Temple of Artaris]

"What is he laughing at?" The girl asks with same obvious obliviousness "Would you like some pamphlets?" She tries to hand over some of the papers she have been holding.

[Reinholdt]

[The Temple of Artaris]

Mister Squiggles takes some pamphlets and peruses them. He's curious as to what this religion can offer compared to Lolth and keeps an open mind.
That or he's just being polite.
It's really hard to tell with a giant spider that just chitters.

[Morty]

[The Temple of Artaris]

He laughs randomly at times. Don't mind him. Michalson accepts the pamphlet and reads it. Might as well play along for now.

[Moff Chumley]

The Moff mutters in Michealson's ear. "You sure we shouldn't just torch the whole place and be done with it?"

[WarKitty]

[Cliffs Cave]

Quinn sighs. "Fine, then. See how you like this."

...and, stepping back, she aims a sonic blast squarly at the blinking light in the middle of the door...

...then pauses, just before firing.
Tilts her head.
Then steps forwards, and tries pressing the light.

The door admits a cacaphony of bells, whistles, hisses, and flashing lights. And opens. Quinn will see a short hallway with another door at the end. As she approaches the door opens, revealing something that probably was human at one point, but is covered in a large number of mechanical entities without apparent rhyme or reason.

"Well hel-lo there! What can I do for you today my fine lady??? Do come in and have some of my tea! It's a special formula I developed." The man sounds quite cheerful.

[Morty]

Last time I checked, I wasn't a barmy, destructive addle-cove. So, no. Looking for what we're here for will be much easier if everything isn't on fire.

[Shadowcaller]

[The Temple of Artaris]

The girl seem a bit awkward with handing out pamphlets to the spider, but does so anyway, quickly withdrawing her hand.

The pamphlets are describing a sacred light of Artaris, involving a rather strict hereditary religion with peasants at the very bottom, nobles and merchants at the middle and wizards at the top. It seems to be against any sort of sexuality or other similar things.

It describes in detail how criminals should be 'redeemed' or 'rehabilitated' rather then punished as all life is sacred by Artaris and should be held high. It seems to assume that all beings are good deep down and just need some help with whatever issues they might have to become good again if they are acting in a 'unsocial manner'.

It's very conservative in manner, changes should be slow and it seems rather unsure about other races then humans or other lifestyles then the one described in the pamphlets.

"Oh, he is like my uncle then, he always seemed to laugh when I told him about Artaris." She smiles happily at you, trying to see your reactions of reading the pamphlets.

[VampireRot]

[The Temple of Artaris]

Rot, after stopping his laughter, refuses to take any pamphlets. He glances at his companions, wondering if they can get something useful out of the pieces of paper or if he has to torture someone.

...

Rot hopes the pamphlets are useless.

[Reinholdt]

[The Temple of Artaris]

Mister Squiggles chitters away some questions about the treatments of other races, particularly spiders. How high may spiders climb in this religion, especially spiders divinely blessed from a noble family? What about customs? Can he still maintain his webs? Must attend church every Sunday? What should he do during mating season?

It all sounds like chittering to me.

[Morty]

[The Temple of Artaris]

Ah, so it's a magocracy that uses religion instead of "obey us or get fried with fireballs". Well, it certainly makes things easier. The second approach usually involves the peasants figuring out wizards die just like everyone when you stick a sword into them and ends violently.
We shall certainly investigate this religion. Tell me, miss, is the temple open for everyone? One might notice that when he's talking to the woman, Michalson's Sigil cant disappears.

[Shadowcaller]

[The Temple of Artaris]

The girls is desperately trying to understand Mister Squiggles, looking at him oddly as he chitters "I... well, yes, Artaris protects us all from evil and primal forces." She replies firmly to a question the spider didn't even ask. "And, uh, yes we do accept any creature in our religion as long they do stay in their place." Hey, I actually think she answered one of his questions.

Then Michalson asks a question, "Oh, yes, the temple is open to everyone, if you need healing or spiritual aid, they are always there for you and your friends." Wait, does she mean rot and moff? Apparently she does, strange...

[Reinholdt]

[The Temple of Artaris]

Mister Squiggles chitters some more. He wants to know where his place would be! It doesn't seem all that great to abandon a religion where he's revered just to end up on the bottom of a different one, even if the message seemed more endurable.

[Rebonack]

The shiny shape is indeed humanoid, or so you can guess from the tips of it's outstretched fingers, and the head that stuck out, 4 eyes on either side that seemed to be mostly.. unharmed for some reason you can't quite tell from this distance. What is most odd, that you can discern about it from the distance you are at. Is that it seems to have massive cables, woven in a formation that could only be applied by human hands where it's jaw should be.. as if.. it had a mouth? But who would design a robot with a mouth?

Let alone one that needed to be sealed.

The pole vaulting.. is rather silly, and the impact gets Avatar a face full of soot, and orange blood like liquid.. what should surprise him is that the liquid, thrums.. no BREATHES life. In it, he can see the infinite potential of all races that man has seen, and many it has not. In it.. he will feel the breath of life, dulled, and hurt.. but alive.. this massive thing was not in fact a work of man, but a living creature.. but then.. the boy.. how had he.. was he the spawn of such a creature?

Whatever the speculations.. this was all making less and less sense to the average person, however much sense it made to Avatar.. is yet to be seen.

Oh it's all quite clear, really. Obviously the thing stuck inside the rock is some kind of nifty bio-mechanical construct. A living mecha so to speak. That would explain why the youth was inside it. And likewise it would explain why... well... the thing is alive.

And if the lad is the sort to combat horrible eldritch beings what better way to do so than by piloting a giant living robot? It would certainly be cool if nothing else!

And being cool is vitally important in endeavors such as these.

All that in mind, Avatar shifts his attention fully to the whatever-it-is inside the monolith. Mostly in the form of sticking his finger in some of that icky smelling orange blood.

What's he doing now you ask?

Trying to sequence the DNA. Build a mental map of the thing's composition.

[Moff Chumley]

Moff'll remain quiet, following Michalson's lead.

[happyturtle]

[Little Village]

Zanny spots him from the air with his "super" sight. But before the dragon can swoop down or call out a greeting, kev poofs away. The bard addresses Darcy, who is on his back.

"Huh. I saw him, but now he's gone. Looks like he's fine. What'do you want to do now?"

"I don't know. Part of me wants to go back to the village and try to help them call their god again. But that'd probably mean some kind of public lust ritual."

[Morty]

[The Temple of Artaris]

Lead on, then. Michalson nods politely. The demon is most likely kept in that temple.

[Shadowcaller]

[The Temple of Artaris]

Mister Squiggles chitters some more. He wants to know where his place would be! It doesn't seem all that great to abandon a religion where he's revered just to end up on the bottom of a different one, even if the message seemed more endurable.

"Uh..." The girl looks confused at the spider and then at Michalson "Just follow me please mr.spider, I'm sure the priests can explain it much better then I can." She tells mister Squiggles.

And if there are no protests, she will lead them to the temple.

[VampireRot]

[The Temple of Artaris]

Rot, his usually grumpy demeanor broken by the occasional fit of giggles, follows the girl.

[Reinholdt]

[The Temple of Artaris]

Mister Squiggles follows!
He needs Ilpholin to translate for him...

[Moff Chumley]

The Moff is still following.

[Shadowcaller]

[The Temple of Artaris]

The girl leads you into town where the party is meet with various suspicious glares, but also looks of of interests and confusion. The village is filled with a few merchants and a lot of peasants, taking in their harvest for the winter that apparently is coming here.

A large man with a sword in his belt and a helmet stops the girl asking something in a language you can't understand.

"Oh, they are interested in the teachings of Artaris, Ivahone." She tells the man happily.

"Ah, I see." The guard chuckles a bit "Very well, go on then." And lets them past, geez, people are a bit naive here.

And you are lead up to the walls of the temple itself without anyone else stopping you. The temple looks a bit like a traditional church with a few people at the benches, listening to the all female choir that is singing.

No signs of any demons yet, but there are obviously some upper floors of this place. A priest comes to meet you though "More converts?" He asks happily, as if there were no other reason people like you would enter the church.

"Yes, they are all interested in Artaris." The girl replies proudly.

[VampireRot]

[Temple of Artaris]

Rot, still holding his umbrella, stops just outside the church. The vampire clutches his heart, or at least where his heart should be in his chest, and shudders.

"Perhaps this plan wasn't the best? Go on in without me."

Place of holiness! Vampire! :smallyuk:



"I don't know. Part of me wants to go back to the village and try to help them call their god again. But that'd probably mean some kind of public lust ritual."

[Skies/Little Village]

"If you want to make amends, we can. But a similar experience to your early one would probably occur. Do you think you can handle it?"

[Morty]

[Temple of Artaris]

Can't you bear it for just a little? It may be our chance.
Michalson then smiles and adresses the priest.
Indeed. We wind the tenets of your religion curious and we wish to find out more.

[happyturtle]

Little Village



"If you want to make amends, we can. But a similar experience to your early one would probably occur. Do you think you can handle it?"

"You'll grab me and fly off if I get too out of control, right?" Darcy asks.

[Reinholdt]

Clearly Zanny and Darcy should have brought Ilpholin to kick-start a lust ceremony.

[Temple of Artaris]

Mister Squiggles chitters! Chitter chitter!

[VampireRot]

[Temple of Artaris]

"It's less of an inner willpower/strength thing than it is fricken spontaneous combustion of holy fire.'

Rot scowls, and attempts to slip a bit away to the side, using a small bit of vampire magic to make it seem like he should be standing there right outside the church instead of following everyone inside.

[Little Village]

"Of course. I can set up mental defenses, if you want."

Zanny will start circling, looking for a place to land.

[Shadowcaller]

[Little Village]

Well, the hill where the ritual were performed seems to be a good place to land, there is a rather large manor just nearby that might belong to the cult.

[Fan]

Oh it's all quite clear, really. Obviously the thing stuck inside the rock is some kind of nifty bio-mechanical construct. A living mecha so to speak. That would explain why the youth was inside it. And likewise it would explain why... well... the thing is alive.

And if the lad is the sort to combat horrible eldritch beings what better way to do so than by piloting a giant living robot? It would certainly be cool if nothing else!

And being cool is vitally important in endeavors such as these.

All that in mind, Avatar shifts his attention fully to the whatever-it-is inside the monolith. Mostly in the form of sticking his finger in some of that icky smelling orange blood.

What's he doing now you ask?

Trying to sequence the DNA. Build a mental map of the thing's composition.

The DNA proves.. difficult. In that regard, the fluid is more of a base for life, highly oxygenated and highly nutrient rich, a veritable primordial soup. What this would imply as to the nature of the beast is baffling to say the least.

The monolith remains silent, the thrum of life still beating wearily within, but with much effort, every moment was a struggle for this creature, yet it seemed, that it did in fact desire to live. Whatever sentience existed beyond that.. was.. muted, dampened behind layers of intricate wards, and the bindings of man.

A beast bound in chains of indeterminable nature, and entombed in soot and steel. Avatars uncanny ability to define the nature of something aside, a visible heart in the dull throb of life in the creature is visible.. the exact spot where the rock had cracked.. and where the white circle began.

[happyturtle]

Little Village

"I'm not sure. Mental defences might keep it from being able to return. Just... pick me up and drag me off if I get too... promiscuous." >.>

[Shadowcaller]

[Temple of Artaris]

"Is that a... spider?" The priest wonders. "Yes, he wants to covert too... I think." The girl looks confused at Mister Squiggles.

"Uh, I see, well there is a lot to tell about Artaris, he is the greatest of all gods, the king of gods you might even call him." The priest says proudly "His servants have banished the greatest threats this world have ever face, like the whispering worm." He smiles, not that you have any idea what he just said, but whatever.

"So why do you join into his embrace?"

[Reinholdt]

[Temple of Artaris]

Mister Squiggles blinks. Not all eight eyes at once, but in a wave pattern, from the bottom up.
And chitters.
*chitter chitter*

[VampireRot]

[Temple of Artaris]

Rot hides, all sneaky and vampire like.


[Little Village]

Zanny grins knowingly, though he is a bit concerned about possible after-effects of "experiencing" the lust-god.

"Okay then."

He circles lower, and lands near the large manor. The dragon probably shifts to human form and walks toward it.

[happyturtle]

[Little Village]

Darcy clasps hands with Zanny, and they walk to the manor.

[Shadowcaller]

[Little Village]

You can see that the bloody mess Darcy left of the puppet haven't been cleaned up yet, the smell of summer grass is mixed with the stench of blood and gore.

No cultists in sight though, the door to the manor is open however, but you could always go down to the village and have a look, or enter the mansion, it's your choice, no interesting people to talk with around here at least.

[VampireRot]

[Little Village]

Zanny frowns, but then shrugs.

"Let's look in the manor."

This decision is most definitely not influenced by a draconic attraction to shiny and expensive things, which are usually found in mansions. Nope. >.>

He'll try to lead Darcy inside, and look for people.

[happyturtle]

Little Village

Darcy makes no objection, though she remains oblivious to her dragon boyfriend's treasure hunger, despite having rolled around in gold with him just a page or two back.

[Lex-Kat]

[Beddling]


"I mean that's what happened." Reinholdt goes to steady Melody.

"We still got the thugs tied up downstairs and some secret room I found. Might hold some clues."

"Such as who this The Master is," Quinn says, frowning, and walking back over to the thugs. Picking Mr. Bashful, and looking at him. "How about we ask him. I think he'll break first."
At least it's a start. Should we seperate them? Who will do the interrogating?

[Reinholdt]

[Beddling]

"Well... there's three of us and three of them... why don't we just split them up and each take one?" Quinn's already picked the one she wants.

[Lex-Kat]

{Beddling}

Oh. *Blink blink* I hadn't thought of that. Who should I take? she looks at the other two.

They are both nearly naked, both unhappy, and both glaring at them. the only distinguishing feature is that one looks older than the other, and has a small scar on his face.

And as for Quinn's prisoner, his body is betraying his true feelings about being tied up and manhandled by a woman. :smalleek:

[Reinholdt]

{Beddling}

Oh... that's why he was blushing...
o.o

"I guess I'll take the older one." He points at scarface. "And for the record, the first one of you that squeals gets to live, so consider how long you really want to hold out on us." It's a lie, but probably an effective one when you have prisoners sweating it out.

Reinholdt will go around assisting in the proper tying up and untying and gun pointing needed to get them separated and contained properly.

[The Bushranger]

[Cliffs Cave]


The door admits a cacaphony of bells, whistles, hisses, and flashing lights. And opens. Quinn will see a short hallway with another door at the end. As she approaches the door opens, revealing something that probably was human at one point, but is covered in a large number of mechanical entities without apparent rhyme or reason.

"Well hel-lo there! What can I do for you today my fine lady??? Do come in and have some of my tea! It's a special formula I developed." The man sounds quite cheerful.

Quinn studies the cyborg carefully, raising an eyebrow.
And mentally comparing him to Magtok.
"Good evening, sir. Thanks for the offer, but I'm not a tea person. I am, however, interested in inquiring after your...well, services, I suppose."

Bluff, bluff, bluff, bluff, bluff... :smalltongue:

---

[Beddling]


At least it's a start. Should we seperate them? Who will do the interrogating?


"Well... there's three of us and three of them... why don't we just split them up and each take one?" Quinn's already picked the one she wants.



Oh. *Blink blink* I hadn't thought of that. Who should I take? she looks at the other two.

They are both nearly naked, both unhappy, and both glaring at them. the only distinguishing feature is that one looks older than the other, and has a small scar on his face.

And as for Quinn's prisoner, his body is betraying his true feelings about being tied up and manhandled by a woman. :smalleek:



Oh... that's why he was blushing...
o.o

"I guess I'll take the older one." He points at scarface. "And for the record, the first one of you that squeals gets to live, so consider how long you really want to hold out on us." It's a lie, but probably an effective one when you have prisoners sweating it out.

Reinholdt will go around assisting in the proper tying up and untying and gun pointing needed to get them separated and contained properly.

Quinn rolls her eyes. "For your information, tiger," she speaks to her prisoner/subject/Guinea Pig, "I'm a happily married woman and a mother. But who knows, maybe I'll give you a better look if you cooperate?" She winks, although inside her mind is going :smallyuk:. "Who sent you here?"

[Recaiden]

[Cave]

What exactly is there to happen? It's a bird and a crazy bard, sitting on a rock. So I assume that continues to happen. Banjo music and birdsong.

[Lex-Kat]

{Beddling}


Reinholdt will go around assisting in the proper tying up and untying and gun pointing needed to get them separated and contained properly.
Reinholdt helps take the three prisoners to three different rooms. Mostly assisting Melody, I assume.

Reinholdt's prisoner's name is Rendfield.

Quinn rolls her eyes. "For your information, tiger," she speaks to her prisoner/subject/Guinea Pig, "I'm a happily married woman and a mother. But who knows, maybe I'll give you a better look if you cooperate?" She winks, although inside her mind is going :smallyuk:. "Who sent you here?"
The blushing bandit is silent, and still glowing red.

[Reinholdt]

{Beddling}

Poor Quinn guy. He probably can't help it. :smallfrown:

If Rendfield actually tells Reinholdt his name, then Reinholdt will get to use it!
"So... Rendfield. Why were you attacking my friends, hmm?"

[The Bushranger]

[Somewhere not where Quinn #2 is :smalltongue:

Tom the Junco, having woken up, is indeed singing along with Cleo's strummin' on the old banjo.

[Beddling]

"What's the matter?" Quinn asks, raising an eyebrow at her prisoner, and tilting one leg just so. "Cat got your tongue? You can talk, right?"

[WarKitty]

[Cliffs Cave]



Quinn studies the cyborg carefully, raising an eyebrow.
And mentally comparing him to Magtok.
"Good evening, sir. Thanks for the offer, but I'm not a tea person. I am, however, interested in inquiring after your...well, services, I suppose."

Bluff, bluff, bluff, bluff, bluff... :smalltongue:


"Oh excellent! Do come sit down and we can talk!" If Quinn allows, she will be led into a large, disorganized, circular room. Most of the walls are covered in counters and shelving, but there's a small kitchen at one point, and next to it a set of bright fluffy green beanbag chairs around a colorful table.

The lab is extremely cluttered. Most of the clutter seems to be machine parts, but Quinn will notice about a dozen rats in separate cages at one point. Most have various implants and appear to be in poor condition.

[Recaiden]

[Beach]

A duet continues. The Only Song Ever Written for Junco and Banjo? :smalltongue:

[The Bushranger]

[Beach]

It'll be a hit! :smalltongue:

And Tom keeps happily singing as long as Cleo plays.


---

[Cliffs Cave]

Quinn allows the strange man to lead her into the Circular Room, frowning as she sees the rat, and taking a seat at the table, presumably.
"Specifically, sir, I'm here to ask," she finally says when the time is right, "if perhaps you might be interested in being bought out?"

[Recaiden]

[Beach]

Among who? :smallconfused: :smalleek: :smallwink: :smalltongue:

And Cleo keeps sadly playing as long as Tom sings.

[The Bushranger]

[Beach]

Crows, ravens, and other birds in black, perhaps? :smalltongue:

Finally Tom the Junco has to stop for air.

"Seeeeeep," he says to Cleo.

[WarKitty]

[Cliffs Cave]

Quinn allows the strange man to lead her into the Circular Room, frowning as she sees the rat, and taking a seat at the table, presumably.
"Specifically, sir, I'm here to ask," she finally says when the time is right, "if perhaps you might be interested in being bought out?"

The man looks startled while still somehow maintaining an ecstatic expression. "Bought out? I would hardly consider this a business my dear! More like a hobby after all. And I do so love working with the animals, they always seem so excited to get their new abilities. Are you sure you wouldn't like some pancakes? Oh, I believe we have not been properly introduced. Name's Brillian. And how shall I address such a fair maiden as yourself?" Quinn will probably get the distinct impression that Brillian is not entirely sane.

[The Bushranger]

[Cliffs Cave]

"I'm Quinn. Quinn Druid," Quinn says, introducing herself. "And while a hobby, yes, your hobby has great potential as a business, and I'm interested in purchasing it. For a sum large enough to allow you to happily retire," she says, with a (forced) smile.

[WarKitty]

[Cliffs Cave]
"Oh dear me. I don't think I could ever retire. I just love my work, and I couldn't stay away from helping these wonderful animals achieve their true potential! Now if it's business you want, I'm sure we could talk about a partnership." Brillian takes one of the rats out of the cage and starts to stroke it. The rat has metal claws and tail and seems extremely exhausted. "Now there darling, don't you love your new abilities? See, he's all tired out from playing with them all day."

Edit: deadtime

[Shadowcaller]

[Little Village]

As soon as you enter the manor you notice how medieval it is in design, there are suits of armors at each side of the hallway leading into the entry hall and the carpets are of a dark red color.

The air in her feels a bit slow really, as if it hadn't been in contact with the outside for years and didn't wish that to change, preferring to stay inside this old manor rather then to face the outdoors and the sunlight outside.

The air is however mixed with the smell of burning candlelights that lit up what would have otherwise been a very murky entrance hall.

As you step further inside you can hear the murmur of people coming from within.

[happyturtle]

[Little Village]

Darcy squeezes Zanny's hand for courage, and continues in towards the sound of voices with him.

[Rebonack]

The DNA proves.. difficult. In that regard, the fluid is more of a base for life, highly oxygenated and highly nutrient rich, a veritable primordial soup. What this would imply as to the nature of the beast is baffling to say the least.

The monolith remains silent, the thrum of life still beating wearily within, but with much effort, every moment was a struggle for this creature, yet it seemed, that it did in fact desire to live. Whatever sentience existed beyond that.. was.. muted, dampened behind layers of intricate wards, and the bindings of man.

A beast bound in chains of indeterminable nature, and entombed in soot and steel. Avatars uncanny ability to define the nature of something aside, a visible heart in the dull throb of life in the creature is visible.. the exact spot where the rock had cracked.. and where the white circle began.

Suitably mysterious!

Or something...

Avatar hrrrmms at the oddity that confronts him. A regular menagerie of information, not terribly uncommon in things that are mutable in form. Just... not in the magical sense.

Usually.

So the thing is bound. Enslaved? Or at least having its purpose channeled in a particular direction. Curious... "I'm going to have to ask that kid about you when he gets back," Avatar comments to the... thing.

[Morty]

[Temple of Artaris]

"Is that a... spider?" The priest wonders. "Yes, he wants to covert too... I think." The girl looks confused at Mister Squiggles.

"Uh, I see, well there is a lot to tell about Artaris, he is the greatest of all gods, the king of gods you might even call him." The priest says proudly "His servants have banished the greatest threats this world have ever face, like the whispering worm." He smiles, not that you have any idea what he just said, but whatever.

"So why do you join into his embrace?"

We're lost souls, drifting on the sea of life. We hope your religion might give us some support and meaning. Lie, lie through your teeth. And restrain yourself from using strange expressions noone understands.

[Shadowcaller]

[Temple of Artaris]

The priest nods "Then you may enter." He gestures towards the altar at the end of the room, "Lost souls are always welcome to this place, if you like to be cured of any injuries, you may touch the altar, it will heal you from whatever affliction you might carry." The priest continues as he walks with you down towards the alter. "I am father Jonas, may I know your names as well... and do the spider have a name of sort?"

The girl is following you as well, but is making sure to stay away from the illusionary image of rot and mister squiggles. You can feel the eyes of the people inside the temple following your every step towards the altar.

Outside where Rot is, people are going about their daily business, not paying any attention to him for the moment.

[Red Manor]

Following the chorus of voices you eventually enter a large dining hall where the cultists seems to have decided to use, they all sit at a long table where there is a great deal of food and drinks, chicken, roast beef, wine, pork, liver, pickled pigs feet... It seems to be lacking in the vegetable compartment, but that could be overlooked.

At the end of the table, you see that hooded man again you meet right before you went up to the cultists and played the dark flute. You can't still he see his face, even with the light from the lit candles standing on the table, they look they have been lit for quite some time seeing the melted candle wax.

He stands up as you enter, stretching out his arms in a welcoming gesture "Welcome! Welcome! You arrived just for dinner." He says as the other cultists turn to you, all grinning.

[Morty]

[Temple of Artaris]

We would like to rest a bit, for now. We travelled long to reach here. My name is Salabesh Onyx... and I think this spider has been referred to as Mister Squiggles. No point in risking using their real names, but faking a spider's name is a bit pointless.

[Reinholdt]

[Temple of Artaris]

Mister Squiggles chitters proudly. It's a fine name! He didn't name himself, but it's better than Mrs. Square or Charlotte.
*chitter chitter*

[happyturtle]

[Red Manor]

Following the chorus of voices you eventually enter a large dining hall where the cultists seems to have decided to use, they all sit at a long table where there is a great deal of food and drinks, chicken, roast beef, wine, pork, liver, pickled pigs feet... It seems to be lacking in the vegetable compartment, but that could be overlooked.

At the end of the table, you see that hooded man again you meet right before you went up to the cultists and played the dark flute. You can't still he see his face, even with the light from the lit candles standing on the table, they look they have been lit for quite some time seeing the melted candle wax.

He stands up as you enter, stretching out his arms in a welcoming gesture "Welcome! Welcome! You arrived just for dinner." He says as the other cultists turn to you, all grinning.

Darcy hesitates - all the grins unnerving her.

"Er... I thought you were angry at me."

[VampireRot]

[Temple Of Artaris]

Rot is most definitely not stalking people. If someone is alone in the street or ducks into an ally, he is most definitely not going to jump them with murderous attempt. Nope. Definitely not. >.>

[Red Manor]

Zanny is a bit unnerved as well, but matches their grins with his own while squeezing Darcy's hand.

"Excellent, I was just getting hungry myself. We've come to apologize for the ceremony, though."

He wonders if they do not actually remember that the ceremony was "ruined", or if perhaps they're just acting and plan to poison them. Or Nancy just wanted the feeling for herself, and what Darcy did was perfectly acceptable and normal. Hmmm...

[Shadowcaller]

[Temple of Artaris]

"I suppose we shall offer you a place to rest then, I'm not sure we could house a spider though, I don't really know what such creatures feed on. Perhaps it should stay outside?" The priest suggests.

"Oh no, this is not a normal spider, he can stay inside." The girl insists.

Jonas looks skeptical and mister squiggly but then nods "Fair enough, follow me then."

He will lead you to a spartan looking room with a few beds and a can of water in one of the corners for washing. You do notice there aren't any images of anything other then winged humanoids with their faces hidden by cowls within the temple. Is that Artaris?

"Well, this is all we can offer I'm afraid." The priest tells you, there is a colorfully dressed man sleeping in one of the beds.

[The Red Manor]

"Oh, of course not, such things have happened at every festival we have had, one gal or guys getting a wee bit excited and getting physical with the dancer." He makes it sound as this indeed would be perfectly... normal.

The other cultists mumbles and nods in agreement with the hooded man. "So please have a seat, it's traditional that we eat something after such a fantastic event, dancing so much makes you crave for other things, does it not?"

You can't see Nancy here, but some of the cultists do have their faces covered by animal masks or hoods so she could indeed be here without making her presence known.

[Morty]

[Temple of Artaris]

It will suffice. Who is depicted on the paintings throrough the temple? Michalson asks curiously.

[Shadowcaller]

[Temple of Artaris]

It will suffice. Who is depicted on the paintings throrough the temple? Michalson asks curiously.

"Oh, that is the servants of Artaris, Artaris himself have no true appearance as he in a way is within us all and therefore can take any shape, even spiders." Jonas nods in the direction of mister squiggly "In fact, if you are lucky, you might see one of the servants within this temple, they come for occasional visits you see?" He smiles warmly at Michaleson.

[VampireRot]

[Red Manor]

Zanny nods.

"Of course. Thank you for your hospitality."

Zanny takes an empty seat, if there is one, and gives Darcy an encouraging smile with a gesture for her to sit as well.

The dragon looks over the meats hungrily, but keeps his appetite in check. He'll first cast a small and unnoticeable spell to detect any poison or enchantments on the food. If all's well, and if the cultists around the table are also eating (as some traditions have periods of silence before meals and Zanny doesn't wish to offend anyone), he'll heartily dig into the meal. The bard keeps a polite and clean air about him, no matter how many cows he devours. :smalltongue:

[Morty]

"Oh, that is the servants of Artaris, Artaris himself have no true appearance as he in a way is within us all and therefore can take any shape, even spiders." Jonas nods in the direction of mister squiggly "In fact, if you are lucky, you might see one of the servants within this temple, they come for occasional visits you see?" He smiles warmly at Michaleson.

Let us hope for that, then. Michalson smiles back and bows slightly.

[Shadowcaller]

Let us hope for that, then. Michalson smiles back and bows slightly.

"Well, I suppose I shall leave you alone then, have a good rest and may Artatis watch your dreams." Jonas says and then leaves, the girl smiling at you, bowing and then leaving right after him, closing the door after them.

[happyturtle]

Little Village

Darcy eats as well, not sure what to say or do.

[The Bushranger]

[Cliffs Cave]

"Very well, then," Quinn says with a sigh. "I fear that I will have to be more blunt. Your work is harming these animals, in addition to causing property damage, and has to stop. I offered to do it the nice way, but I'm willing to do it the hard way, too."

...and abruptly, she focuses on the Mad Scientist, and tries to make him feel what she felt from the poor sparrow.

[Morty]

"Well, I suppose I shall leave you alone then, have a good rest and may Artatis watch your dreams." Jonas says and then leaves, the girl smiling at you, bowing and then leaving right after him, closing the door after them.

Alright, cutters. We're inside. Now we have to figure out how to get where we want...

[Shadowcaller]

[Little Village]

Zanny can't detect anything poisonous about this food and the cultists seems to enjoy it as well as Darcy.

And it tastes good too, as you start to finish off though, the cultists slowly seem to turn their attention to you once again, grinning, they like to do that a lot it seems.

"So, are you considering joining then?" The hooded man asks them carefully.

[VampireRot]

[Little Village]

Zanny hesitates. Joining cults is fun and all, but sometimes its... Well, not fun and all.

"Perhaps if I got a little bit more information. You worship the... er, dancer, that puppet thing? And it gives those... feelings?"

[happyturtle]

[Little Village]

"Er, well, I came to try and make amends and see if I could help summon him again." Darcy says.

[Shadowcaller]

[Little Village]

"It's less about worship and more about having a good time actually, you see, when you are looking for kicks this is the highest one you can get. It leaves you rather satisfied for a long time."

"Not this time though." You hear Nancy's voice say, "Since the bitch ruined it all." She still sounds angry, is that girl ever going to let it go?

She removes the hood she have been keeping over her head and stands up in the same movement, staring at Darcy coldly.

"Now, now Nancy, they are trying to make amends are they not? And you should obviously have warned them first." The hooded man attempts to calm her.

"Warned them? Anyone that judges so superficially is not worthy the blessing of the dancer, they are just ordinary boring grey people." That happens to be dragons and shape shifters *nodnod*.

[VampireRot]

[Little Village]

Zanny nods, then glares at Nancy.

"Lets calm down now. Sorry if we judged the Dancer harshly, but it was stitched together from dead bodies. But it is still our fault, and that's why we want to make it up to you."

The bard chuckles.

"And that's the first time anyone's described me as ordinary, boring, or gray."

[happyturtle]

[Little Village]

"Where I come from, it is a grave sin to disturb the rest of the dead," Darcy says.

[Shadowcaller]

[Little Village]

Nancy only listens to what Darcy have to say apparently "Oh yeah? Well, you can take your stupid traditions and get the **** out of here!"

"Nancy! Calm down!" The hooded man orders her with enough force behind his words to make the rather upset Nancy do just that and sit down, still staring at Darcy.

"I'm really sorry about her behavior, I can really understand your reaction towards our puppet there, but there really isn't any other way to call him except of letting a living being be possessed by it, and that don't turn out that well in most cases."

[happyturtle]

[Little Village]

"So... he can't return?" :smallfrown:

[VampireRot]

[Little Village]

Zanny scratches his chin. Possession? No thanks. He stays silent, watching Nancy and Darcy closely.

[Shadowcaller]

[Little Village]

Nancy is staring at Darcy like she wants to rip her hair off, or so it looks to Zanny at least.

"Oh, I didn't say that." The hooded man replies "You see, we talked a bit and decided that there was a way for you to make amends." The other cultists nods in agreement.

"The dancer can only be summoned during the dancers moon with the black flute, a good musician and a suitable body for it to possess. We lack two of those things with you." He pauses, taking a sip of wine before he continues. "We could of course make a new puppet, but we can't get the red moon to rise again..." He pauses again, looking directly at Darcy and Zanny "But from we understand you have very special talents, so I think you might be able to help us at that part. Are you interested?"

[VampireRot]

[Little Village]

Zanny nods.

"I'll do whatever I can to help."

To a certain extent.

[happyturtle]

[Little Village]

"What would I have to do?" Darcy asks. As eager as she is to encounter the Dancer again, she doesn't want to become a lust priestess.

[Shadowcaller]

[Little Village]

"Well... a long time ago, a sacred idol that could summon the dancers moon every full moon, but also suppress it, were stolen from us by the servants of the mother, a entity that denies any emotion and change, served only by utterly insane people." Hm that sounds familiar...

"They live near a village not far away from here in a old citadel they have reinforced and guard zealously day and night. If you could retrieve that idol, then we could summon the dancer once again and you could join in on the festivities this time."

The cultists smiles hopefully at you, well except Nancy, she still looks unable to accept either Darcy or Zanny.

[VampireRot]

[Little Village]

Zanny nods. Breaking and entering isn't that bad. Anyway, zealously guarded citadels tend to have lots of treasure in them. :smalltongue:

"It sounds like something we can do."

He turns to Darcy.

"I think we should help them, what about you?"

[happyturtle]

[Little Village]

Darcy nods, a teeny tiny voice inside her saying 'I have a bad feeling about this', but the much louder voice anxious to encounter the Dancer again. "Yes, we'll try."

[EleventhHour]

The Manchurian Paddleboat

Magtok just grins, takes her by the hand that doesn't have the scary ring, and steps back towards their mode of transportation.

Of course not. If anyone asks, we can just blame drunken pixies or something.

He pauses thoughtfully for a moment, before turning back towards his fiancée.

So...umm...now that we're engaged and stuff, what happens next? I mean right now, what do we do next, do we start thinking about setting things up for the big day, picking a day, stuff like that? Or do we just go running around and telling everyone who hasn't already figured it out? :smallconfused:

"Those rascally pixies. They're always getting into trouble, and caught in jars. Or something. ...Shiny..." She's still a bit distracted, give her a minute.

And once on the paddleboat she ponders the situation, too. "I don't really have anyone to sit on my side, or whatever. Or a dad for the aisle, and stuff... uh... Can we just invite everyone?" Oh, yeah. Everyone. Great plan there.

[Shadowcaller]

[Little Village]

"Good, just wait a bit until you have got all the food through your system before you set off, the sooner the better however."

You get nods of approval from the other cultists (except Nancy of course, but do I really need to mention that?).

"Do you need anything to aid you? Perhaps one of us could come along?"

[happyturtle]

[Little Village]

"If you think we need an Exposition Fairy to move things along--" The fourth wall whaps Darcy. "Er, I mean, we'll need as much information as possible, of course. But we can probably work more effective with just the two of us."

[VampireRot]

[Little Village]

Zanny nods, though his superior dragon metabolism scoffs at the puny human's suggestion, and Darcy probably has enough shapeshifting to digest it in five minutes. But he still waits, all polite like.

"More information would be good."

[Reinholdt]

[Temple of Artaris]

"I suppose we shall offer you a place to rest then, I'm not sure we could house a spider though, I don't really know what such creatures feed on. Perhaps it should stay outside?" The priest suggests.

"Oh no, this is not a normal spider, he can stay inside." The girl insists.

Jonas looks skeptical and mister squiggly but then nods "Fair enough, follow me then."

He will lead you to a spartan looking room with a few beds and a can of water in one of the corners for washing. You do notice there aren't any images of anything other then winged humanoids with their faces hidden by cowls within the temple. Is that Artaris?

"Well, this is all we can offer I'm afraid." The priest tells you, there is a colorfully dressed man sleeping in one of the beds.

Mister Squiggles chitters as Jonas leaves and Michalson asks what to do next. It should be obvious. Go poke the guy who's sleeping.

The giant dire spider skitters over there and goes to push the colorfully dressed man until he rouses.

[Lord Magtok]

"Those rascally pixies. They're always getting into trouble, and caught in jars. Or something. ...Shiny..." She's still a bit distracted, give her a minute.

And once on the paddleboat she ponders the situation, too. "I don't really have anyone to sit on my side, or whatever. Or a dad for the aisle, and stuff... uh... Can we just invite everyone?" Oh, yeah. Everyone. Great plan there.

Magtok blinks.

Well...we could, but that'd be kind of a...

Hmm...if everyone was there, anyone trying to kill the two of you would have the entire other half of the party trying to kill them for making the attempt. Maybe it's not such a bad idea.

Actually, that'd be awesome. And aside from the Magbots who don't really count at all, I haven't much in the way of real family either. S'weird how that seems to be the case for a lot of people...

The paddleboat lifts off into the air, as Magtok thinks over a mental list of possible destinations.

Well, I've already got a clone being swamped in AMEN, but we could always go visit the grumpypants apocalypse-stopping nastyfaces in WATCHTOWER and tell them the news. Or we could try the ring out on any nasty GLoG people who try to use fancy superpowers to take back the paddleboat, or go back to the island, or try to find someone who'll cater the wedding and do priestly things and such somewhere.

[WarKitty]

[Cliffs Cave]

"Very well, then," Quinn says with a sigh. "I fear that I will have to be more blunt. Your work is harming these animals, in addition to causing property damage, and has to stop. I offered to do it the nice way, but I'm willing to do it the hard way, too."

...and abruptly, she focuses on the Mad Scientist, and tries to make him feel what she felt from the poor sparrow.

"Harming?!!?" Brillian looks genuinely shocked. "I would never harm these beautiful critters! I'm merely trying to make their lives better! But show me this property damage and I'll do my best to clean it up. I do so hate seeing people upset. Are you sure you don't want a glass of wine?"

[The Alexandrian]

[Above one of the many forests within Outside]

A dark, medium-sized dropship begins to exit from a portal in the air. It gives off little sound and looks rather odd with a drill still protruding from its nose. It is one of those ships which is a staple of the comic book, with a troop bay placed on the side. The ship itself is cylindrical with a few thrusters lining its bottom. It appears as though it can navigate quite swiftly, though it is evident it is lacking a solid defense system. Within it lies the body of Alex Pyborne and the still breathing Scar(both situations which are shortly to be remedied).

[Chaotic Bob]

There you are.

Shame Galinai was already moved over to a different operation and Sariai is busily preparing different business.
That leaves only Uleryunabil himself, to handle this particular issue.

Some distance before the ship, the diminutive figure, all swathed up in his clothes, slides out from a fold in space, staring onwards towards his target.
It's probable the ship won't notice him. Then again, it might. It may change course, or it may plow ahead. It may stop.

Uleryu is indifferent to all of these possibilities, instead raising up his little arms and shouting out a single, syllable that that appears to rhyme with "Orange".
In effect, he attempts to turn the hull of the ship into mud.

[Recaiden]

[Bunker]

"Oh, it's just that death moon. Nothing important." Tavlii chides, turning around and waiting by the stairs for them.

[Cave]

"You're right, little bird. I can't just wait around here. There are demons to hunt, songs to perform!" She finishes that part of the song first, and then stands up to walk into the cave.

[Shadowcaller]

[Temple of Artaris]

"Whu-what?" The man says as he is awaken by the spider. His eyes go open and he looks to his side, staring Mister Squiggles in his many eyes.

There is a moment of silence.

"GAHHH!" He leaps up from the bed and have moved to the corner of the room at an amazing speed, "Squish it! Someone!" He yells at Michalson and Moff.

[Little Village]

"If you want information, you should ask the only one that have been there... Nancy?" The hooded man turns to Nancy.

"No, I'm not going to help them with this, I refuse!"

"Everyone needs to help Nancy, and aren't you responsible for this as well since you didn't tell them, causing all this? In fact, some might say it's even more your fault..."

"What?! No... I..." The cultists all look at her at this point causing her to grind her teeth together "Fine, alright, I do it."

"That is a good girl..." He claps his hands as one of the nearby cultists gives Nancy a hug, another a pat on her back. "Now take our guests to the citadel, we are going to clean up here and make a new puppet while your gone. Good Luck!"

Nancy gets away from the other cultists, putting the hood over her face once again so deep that her eyes aren't even visible, gesturing for you to follow her outside.

[The Bushranger]

[Cave - well, one cave]


"Harming?!!?" Brillian looks genuinely shocked. "I would never harm these beautiful critters! I'm merely trying to make their lives better! But show me this property damage and I'll do my best to clean it up. I do so hate seeing people upset. Are you sure you don't want a glass of wine?"

"Yes, harming. The poor thing was nearly dead, in shock, and out of control when I found it. The forest fire got put out," Quinn says dryly. "And I won't have a glass of wine, but I will be taking your license to practice veterinary medicine with me. Now."

---

[Bunker]




"Oh, it's just that death moon. Nothing important." Tavlii chides, turning around and waiting by the stairs for them.

Val...starts sputtering a bit.
"A death moon...That's No Moon...and it's nothing important?" she asks, composing herself, and, shaking her head, following Tavlii.

[That other cave]



"You're right, little bird. I can't just wait around here. There are demons to hunt, songs to perform!" She finishes that part of the song first, and then stands up to walk into the cave.

"Seep chirrup seep seep!" Tom says, tilting his head one way, then the other, then fluttering torwards the mouth of the cave.

Looks like he wants more music, but doesn't want to head into the cave to get it. :smalltongue:

[VampireRot]

[Little Village]

Zanny chuckles to himself, amused by this turn of events. He rises and tries to help Darcy up, then follows Nancy. Once outside, he'll chuckle again.

"How far away is this citadel, and how good is the guard? I can fly us there, if needed."

[WarKitty]

[Cave - well, one cave]
"Yes, harming. The poor thing was nearly dead, in shock, and out of control when I found it. The forest fire got put out," Quinn says dryly. "And I won't have a glass of wine, but I will be taking your license to practice veterinary medicine with me. Now."


Brillian looks confused. "License? What's that? She must have had an accident after it left, Kendra seemed so excited to have her new laser eye. Are you sure you don't want a donut?"

Quinn might be getting the impression that a psychologist would be useful here.

[Recaiden]

[Bunker]
Val...starts sputtering a bit.
"A death moon...That's No Moon...and it's nothing important?" she asks, composing herself, and, shaking her head, following Tavlii.

"No problem at all. Okay, so it's a slight problem. But there's not much we can do about it." Sure, it could kill everyone, and that would be a fairly major setback, but it wouldn't stop them.


[That other cave]
"Seep chirrup seep seep!" Tom says, tilting his head one way, then the other, then fluttering torwards the mouth of the cave.

Looks like he wants more music, but doesn't want to head into the cave to get it. :smalltongue:

Cleo comes back out shortly wearing a large backpack and a dagger, and carrying a banjo case. * whistle whistle *

[happyturtle]

Little Village

"We need to know how it's guarded," Darcy says to Nancy. While trying not to :smallyuk:. Wasn't there a better way to summon the Dancer than defiling the dead?

[Shadowcaller]

[Little Village]

http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg254/Seweron/nancy1.png
((This is Nancy by the way.))

Nancy stops after your out of the manor and turns to you "I'm going to do you a favor and tell you that you don't want this." She states firmly.

"You might think yourself 'free-spirited' and all, but this is way beyond having wild sex. The things you saw at the ritual were nothing compared to the things that would come later." Nancy continues, putting a heavy empathize on the word 'nothing'. "So do yourself a favor and go back before it's too late, people like you can't handle this without breaking."

[VampireRot]

[Little Village]

Zanny scowls, showing off an array of almost shark-like teeth, and blue magic flashes in his eyes.

"Now I don't know who you think you are little ape, but I can tell you that there are few things in this small world that could break me, and many that would probably break you."

The bard waves a hand and tries to pat Darcy, his new grin showing completely normal teeth.

"And I'm pretty sure Darcy here is pretty tough too." :smallsmile:

[happyturtle]

[Little Village]

Darcy is about to answer, when Zanny goes all 'RAWWR!', and she is left speechless and a little awed. :smalleek:

[Shadowcaller]

[Little Village]

Nancy steps back in shock at first, blinking, showing clear signs of fear.
After Zanny is finished though, she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.

"...yeah? Well, do you care for her?" She starts carefully, not really wanting to anger Zanny once again. "The last ritual I was in, eleven people died and a lot of others were wounded. It was horrible." She smiles despite her statement, but you get the feeling it's an involuntary smile, "But also wonderful." Her smiles fades again as she seems to realize it was there.

Suddenly she hikes her up her tunic a bit which reveals a number of healed, but still rather nasty looking scars "See these? I barely survived myself, waking up next to a corpse, sixteen years old." Nancy pauses again, looking at you "I ask you again, do you want this?" She says coldly. Well, apparently she does... these people really are crazy.

[VampireRot]

[Little Village]

Zanny nods, his eyes cold.

"I understand the risk. And so does Darcy. I believe the risk is worth taking, for what is life without risks?"

The bard looks to his girlfriend for confirmation. His gaze shows confidence, concern, and willingness to back down if she wants too.

[Reinholdt]

{Beddling}

Reinholdt helps take the three prisoners to three different rooms. Mostly assisting Melody, I assume.

Reinholdt's prisoner's name is Rendfield.

The blushing bandit is silent, and still glowing red.
{Beddling}

Poor Quinn guy. He probably can't help it. :smallfrown:

If Rendfield actually tells Reinholdt his name, then Reinholdt will get to use it!
"So... Rendfield. Why were you attacking my friends, hmm?"


[Temple of Artaris]

"Whu-what?" The man says as he is awaken by the spider. His eyes go open and he looks to his side, staring Mister Squiggles in his many eyes.

There is a moment of silence.

"GAHHH!" He leaps up from the bed and have moved to the corner of the room at an amazing speed, "Squish it! Someone!" He yells at Michalson and Moff.

Mister Squiggles chitters. The spider was what... 6, maybe 7 times the size of a man? Maybe 5. Some number where at least two or three people could ride on his back with ease.

Yeah. Squishing. It ain't happening.

[The Bushranger]

[Beddling]

Quinn stares at her silent prisoner, arms crossed under her chest, toe tapping, waiting for an answer. :smalltongue:

---

[Cliffs Cave]

"Bad scientist, no doughnut." Quinn stands. "Sir, I think I know somebody who might be interested in your work..."

She suddenly has a Cunning Plan come to mind to solve everything!

----

[Island of the Coconut Bees]

It would be merely a flesh wound?

"Well, not now anyway. But with those airships..."
Val taps a finger to her lip, looking rather...thoughtful...as she follows Tavlii, presumably, back up the stairs.
"I should probably know this, but...are there any, ah, energy-storing minerals native to your world?"

---

[Beach Cave]

As Cleo emerges and whistles, Tom the Junco happens to be perched on top of a nearby saltbush, deep in seeming conversation with a marsh wren.

After amoment the wren flies off, and Tom tilts his head at the bard.
"Seeeeep?"

[Lex-Kat]

{Beddling}

((You took all their possessions, including their wallets. Names are in them.))

Poor Quinn guy. He probably can't help it. :smallfrown:

If Rendfield actually tells Reinholdt his name, then Reinholdt will get to use it!
"So... Rendfield. Why were you attacking my friends, hmm?"
We'er thugs. What'chu expect from us? he says grumpily. Then shuts his yap.

"What's the matter?" Quinn asks, raising an eyebrow at her prisoner, and tilting one leg just so. "Cat got your tongue? You can talk, right?"
Billy looks away. Yes, ma'am. I can talk. Please, ma'am. Can I please have a towel to cover up with. He pleads. Quinn may notice he's almost crying.

[Reinholdt]

{Beddling}

Whoa. Every day normal IDs. Who woulda figured?

"I expect you to tell me why you were told to attack my friends. Before you die cause your friends squealed first. Or I get mad and just blow out your kneecaps." Reinholdt replies calmly.

[The Bushranger]

[Beddling]

"See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Quinn says, soothingly, then nodding, producing a towel from her Bag of Holding, and tossing it so it lands and covers up Billy quite nicely. "There you go. Now, see, I know a nice boy like you doesn't want to be doing things that aren't right, but sometimes you can't help it. I can help, if you want, but I need to know what's happening here first, alright?"

[happyturtle]

[Little Village]


[Little Village]

Nancy steps back in shock at first, blinking, showing clear signs of fear.
After Zanny is finished though, she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.

"...yeah? Well, do you care for her?" She starts carefully, not really wanting to anger Zanny once again. "The last ritual I was in, eleven people died and a lot of others were wounded. It was horrible." She smiles despite her statement, but you get the feeling it's an involuntary smile, "But also wonderful." Her smiles fades again as she seems to realize it was there.

Suddenly she hikes her up her tunic a bit which reveals a number of healed, but still rather nasty looking scars "See these? I barely survived myself, waking up next to a corpse, sixteen years old." Nancy pauses again, looking at you "I ask you again, do you want this?" She says coldly. Well, apparently she does... these people really are crazy.


[Little Village]

Zanny nods, his eyes cold.

"I understand the risk. And so does Darcy. I believe the risk is worth taking, for what is life without risks?"

The bard looks to his girlfriend for confirmation. His gaze shows confidence, concern, and willingness to back down if she wants too.

Darcy frowns. "There's something wrong here. The Dancer doesn't want that. He wants to help us feel good, not hurt each other."

[Shadowcaller]

[Little Village]

Nancy smiles a bit "Not the dancer, us. Deep down, some people just enjoy hurting each others, pain united with pleasure... maybe you felt that too? There are no thoughts about survival when you are under it's influence, you just want to enjoy. Rest of life just becomes very dull once you experienced it fully..." She seems to drift off a bit into her own memories.

[Terumitsu]

((Repost from SAINT))



-snicker-
Ghoul is successful in gaining access to the ship's inner area by its tampering with the hull. There is a clunking noise when the hull is breached. A robot notes this damage and begins to attempt to enter the corridor where the hull breach has occurred in, though it is not armed and lacking armor, suspecting only an engineering defect. It stands about 5 feet high and grasps a welder in its left hand.
-snak-

In this case, Ghoul would simply attempt at edging around the repair-bot. Further damage to things in this area would likely alert those in this ship to the fact that this was more than your standard hull breach. If successful, she would start searching around for a terminal or some sort of point where she could jack into the local systems. Having a map of the area would be a smart thing to look for first at least.

[happyturtle]

[Little Village]

"So... once the Dancer comes, then no one will have any restraints? They'll do whatever they feel like, without regard for the consequences?"

This... changes things, somewhat. :smalleek:

[Shadowcaller]

[Little Village]

Nancy nods, glancing at Zanny again, afraid of enrage him a second time, "Yes, know how alcohol make things more fun as you start to think less about the consequences of your actions? Being with the dancer is very much like that, but up to a completely different level, it's like the ultimate drug. Once you have done it once, you can't be without it. rest of life seems so dull in comparison..."

Geez, she is sounding like an addict already.

[happyturtle]

[Little Village]

"Er... I think I just need to talk to Zanny for a minute," Darcy says, and tries to pull Zanny off a ways for some privacy.

[Lex-Kat]

{Beddling}


Whoa. Every day normal IDs. Who woulda figured?

"I expect you to tell me why you were told to attack my friends. Before you die cause your friends squealed first. Or I get mad and just blow out your kneecaps." Reinholdt replies calmly.
Yeah, go figure. *shrugs* I didn't accidently type his name out when I was making it up in my mind and then accidently post it or anything. Nope. And I certainly didn't have to make up some sort of cover story to reason out why he gave his name, but is tight-lipped about everything else. Nosirree. :smallcool:

Rendfield just stares straight ahead. You do whatcha gotta do. It doesn't seem he's going to spill anytime soon.

"See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Quinn says, soothingly, then nodding, producing a towel from her Bag of Holding, and tossing it so it lands and covers up Billy quite nicely. "There you go. Now, see, I know a nice boy like you doesn't want to be doing things that aren't right, but sometimes you can't help it. I can help, if you want, but I need to know what's happening here first, alright?"
Thank you, Miss.

I'm sorry, Miss. I don't know anything. My pop and uncle, we're just hired thugs. I just started the other day, when you first arrived in Riverside, Ma'am. His eyes go big as he just realized something. Sorry about that, by the way. I'm glad you and the blue miss got away, to be honest.

[Recaiden]

It would be merely a flesh wound?

"Well, not now anyway. But with those airships..."
Val taps a finger to her lip, looking rather...thoughtful...as she follows Tavlii, presumably, back up the stairs.
"I should probably know this, but...are there any, ah, energy-storing minerals native to your world?"

---

[Beach Cave]

As Cleo emerges and whistles, Tom the Junco happens to be perched on top of a nearby saltbush, deep in seeming conversation with a marsh wren.

After amoment the wren flies off, and Tom tilts his head at the bard.
"Seeeeep?"

[Bunker]
Tavlii giggles. "Why of course, Val. You've seen them, here and in our world. It's how we generate and store and move power for [I]everything. What are you thinking?"

[Beach Cave]

"Seeep!" Cleo nods. "Let's go, bird." She'll walk slowly along the trail towards Town, whistling a happy tune.

[VampireRot]

[Little Village]

Zanny frowns at Nancy's continued description. Yeeks. He gets pulled off, and looks a bit more concerned once away from Nancy.

"I'm having second thoughts about my own participation in such a ritual. Having no restraints might be a bit unpleasant for all those near me. What do you think of it?"

And addiction sounds unfun too. :smallyuk: He likes liking things!

[Reinholdt]

{Beddling}

Rendfield just stares straight ahead. You do whatcha gotta do. It doesn't seem he's going to spill anytime soon.

Reinholdt glares at the man with a similar name. GLARES.
And turns pink and tries his minor, easily resistible, magical suggestion. "Tell me what I want to know. Why were you hired? Why does that man want Jezebelle dead?"

[happyturtle]

[Little Village]

Zanny frowns at Nancy's continued description. Yeeks. He gets pulled off, and looks a bit more concerned once away from Nancy.

"I'm having second thoughts about my own participation in such a ritual. Having no restraints might be a bit unpleasant for all those near me. What do you think of it?"

And addiction sounds unfun too. :smallyuk: He likes liking things!

"Yeah. I never thought I'd say this, but moderation has its place." She shakes her head. "Maybe the Dancer isn't really meant for normal mortals."

[VampireRot]

[Little Village]

Zanny nods.

"Not for anyone not wanting to devote their lives to it, at least."

The bard nods gravely.

"We don't have to do the ritual. But do you still want to try and retrieve the idol for them?"

Randomly ditching the cult is an option, but a rude one. :smalltongue:

[happyturtle]

Little Village

"I'm starting to wonder - maybe there's a reason the idol is kept away from them. Maybe it's for their own good."